Art Appreciation

Art History and Art Movements (Part 1)

COL006

8 Module on
Art History and Art
Movements (Part 1)

This module will introduce you to the history of art and the various art movements. This module will
also help you classify the important characteristics of various art movements such as historical background, factors,
influential person, socio-political issues, prevalent artists, art forms and media.

At the end of this module, you should be able to:

1. identify the underlying history, philosophy of the era or movements; and
2. classify the various art movements by citing their important characteristics such as historical background,
factors, influential person, socio-political issues and prevalent artists, art forms and media.

Directions: In the crossword puzzle below, find and circle the words that are related to art.

C A V E A R T R R O M A N I G
S D A D A I S M F C O C P N R
Y M I N I M A L A U N O O S E
M F G W G N I T N I A P P T E
B Z F Q G G I O V I L C A A K
O S U R R E A L I S I E R L A
L R E A L I S M S M S P T L R
F U T U R I S M M D A T W R T

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Write the words that you find in the puzzle:
1. _________________________ 6. _________________________
2. _________________________ 7. _________________________
3. _________________________ 8. _________________________
4. _________________________ 9. _________________________
5. _________________________ 10. _________________________

DIFFERENT ART MOVEMENTS

1. Cave Art. Art in cave usually reveals various paintings and engravings from the Ice Ages, sometime
between 40,000 and 14,000 years ago in caves and shelters. Most cave art comprise of red or black dye
artworks. Relics were made from iron oxides (hematite), while blacks were made from manganese and
charcoal dioxide.
Example:
The oldest known cave painting in the world is not a
magnificent display of dancing horses, thundering bison, or
leaping warriors. El Castillo, in the Cantabria region of
northern Spain, holds thousands of years’ worth of
spectacular prehistoric art. But the beginning of it all, at the
end of a long passage so narrow that one must crawl through
parts of it, is a simple disc-shaped blotch of red paint.
Archaeologists believe the painting to be at least 40,800
years old. It was made not long after humans began
migrating out of Africa and into Europe, where they met their
predecessors, the Neanderthals. 

2. Egyptian Art. Throughout Egyptian culture, the principle of cohesion called ma'at, which was conceived at
the dawn of life and embraced the cosmos, was created. This represents the beautiful universe of gods; all
Egyptian sculpture is focused on a perfect equilibrium. Just like these gods gave every good gift to mankind, so
the work of arts had been invented and developed for use. Egyptian sculpture has also been practical first and
foremost. And if a sculpture was perfectly built, it acted as a sanctuary for a spirit or a deity. 

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Example:
King Ramesses fought numerous wars during his reign, and
emerged victorious from most of them, expanding the riches
of the vast Egyptian empire during his 66-year rule from 1279
BC to 1213 BC. He is often regarded as the most celebrated
and most powerful pharaoh in ancient Egypt. His battle
against the Nubians, a 200-year-old wealthy civilization,
stands well documented in the form of the above papyrus
painting. The battle is depicted on the south wall of the Beit
el-wali temple, a Nubian stronghold. On one of the walls of
the temple it says that in one of the battles with the Nubians
he had to fight the whole battle alone without any help from
his soldiers.

3. Greek Art. Much of this human civilization has integrated into our collective consciousness. The prompt
visions of epic wars and scholarly philosophers, gleaming White buildings and limbless nudes (we now
understand sculptures, even those that accessorize statues
such as the Parthenon). Thanks to its remarkable
archaeological places, the well-known literary sources and
the impacts of the Hollywood (the Clash of the Titans, for
example).
Example:
Fallen Warrior from Temple of Aphaia (c 480-470BC). There
is a tragic pathos to this mighty sculpture of a dying hero
from a temple on the Greek island of Aegina. Tragedy is a Greek concept. The tragedies of Sophocles,
Euripides and Aeschylus are still performed. This statue shows a strong man fallen, heroic to his last breath.

4. Roman Art. Since the rediscovery and appreciation of ancient Greek art from the 17th century onwards,
roman art has suffered a little from a reputation crisis. As art criticism also discovered that many of the greatest
Roman artworks were simply duplicates, or at least influenced by Greek originals which were earlier and
mostly destroyed. The popularity of Roman art, which
succeeded in the middle ages and the Renaissance for all
Romanesque items, started to decline. The very meaning of
what it truly is, is another issue with Roman art. Unlike Greek
art, the Roman empire’s vast geographical location led to very
various approaches to art.
Example:
This monumental column stands as a landmark in the city and is
one of the best-preserved monuments of ancient Rome. A
stunning structure just by itself, there are in addition a total of
2,662 figures carved into its surface depicting 155 different
scenes, allowing it to tell a story of its own. Needless to say,
Trajan’s Column and its spiral narrative give a detailed insight into the coordination, administration, and
operations of the Roman army. Given its historical significance and prominence as a long-standing landmark, the

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Column of Trajan has been attracting artists and historians for
a very long time.

5. Medieval Period. It featured a range of things from glass

mosaics, wall paintings, and metalwork. Byzantine art was
traditional, primarily religious, and much of it were associated
with lower levels of realism. In fact, the paintings were white,
with little to no shadows to a hint of 3D, and the themes were
generally serious and more somber.
Example:
Built in 537 AD at the beginning of the medieval period under
the direction of Byzantine emperor Justinian I, the Hagia Sophia epitomizes Byzantine architecture. Though
originally built as a Greek Orthodox Christian cathedral, it was repurposed as a mosque after the Turkish
conquest of Constantinople in 1453, and today stands as a museum in Istanbul, Turkey. At the time it was built, it
was the world’s tallest building, known for its iconic, massive dome.

6. Chinese Painting. Chinese painting is among the world’s

oldest continuing forms of art. In Chinese today, traditional
painting is recognized as "guóhuà" means "ethnic" or "local
painting" contrasted with Western decorative arts, which in the
twentieth century grew popular in China. For Chinese painting,
the two primary methods are:
a. Gongbi, which is "thorough," uses very specific
brushstrokes which precisely identify details.
b. Ink and wash painting in Chinese, as one of the
Chinese Scholar-of-Scientific class "Four Arts," was
also commonly classified as water colored painting or
brush painting. It was an art performed in principle by gentlemen, a differentiation that begins with the
Song dynasty in literature but that may in turn benefit greatly from the professions of leading
exhibitors. This style is often called the "xieyi" style.
Example:
Beside is Zhang Zeduan, Spring Festival on the River (also
called Along the River During Qingming Festival), Northern Song
dynasty, Early 12th century. Despite its uncertain attribution to
Northern Song Dynasty academy painter Zhang Zeduan and
unknown date, this masterful painting has nonetheless become
one of the most famous and hotly-debated works in Chinese
history. The painting immerses the viewer in an expansive survey
of city life from nearly a thousand years ago.

7. Japanese Print. Until its Edo era in 1603 to 1868, the arts of
woodblock printing were launched into the China's Han dynasty

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which lasted from 206 BCE to 220 CE. Initially, conventional
handscrolls were used as inexpensive books by woodblock printing. Yet, it was quickly converted and used as
a method for mass processing of prints.
Example:
The print, part of the series Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji, features a huge arching wave in the foreground
which threatens

to consume the two boats below, while Mount Fuji sits serenely in the distance, seemingly framed by the wave.
Centuries of peace during the Edo period and the development of a sophisticated road system had fostered a
culture of leisure travel in Japan. This created a desire for prints of famous and beautiful landscapes which
were bought as cheap souvenirs. At the same time, Western imports of prints and drawings represented new
ways of looking at the world, which also encouraged an interest in drawing from life.

8. Renaissance Art. In the context of religious practices, many

works of Renaissance art portrayed religious images, including the
theme of the Virgin Mary or Our Lady, and were seen by
contemporary audiences. They are still considered to be wonderful
works of art but were used and seen primarily as objects of devotion.
Many works of the Renaissance were painted as altarpieces for
inclusion in the Catholic rituals and donated by patrons who
sponsored the mass themselves.
Example:
The painting Mona Lisa by Leonardo Da Vinci is one of the most
famous and recognized paintings in history. Unarguably it is the
most discussed painting because of the enigmatic smile. There have been many discussions about the smile
of Mona Lisa, whether she is smiling or not. The major feature of this painting is that Da Vinci has painted her
eyes in such a way that even when you change the angle of the view, the eyes of Mona Lisa seems to always
follow you. The painting is done in oil on wood and is presently under the ownership of the Government of
France. Mona Lisa is exhibited in Louvre, Paris and it belongs to the public, which means that it cannot be
bought or sold.
9. Mannerism. Mannerist artists were involved in but did not seek to
imitate the perfectionism represented by artists of the High
Renaissance. Rather, they distorted the values of the Renaissance
and contributed to research that encourages self-expressionism and
idealism. The Mannerists went on to construct extremely unnatural
compositions, rather than following the harmonious principles
synonymous with Raphael and Michelangelo, which revealed their
methods and hybrid capabilities to exploit compositions in order to
build the illusion of advanced beauty.
Example:
The picture is entitled Perseus with the head of Medusa by Benvenuto Cellini. The statue has been greatly
influential as Antonio Canova and the 18th century Russian sculptor Feodosy Fyodorovich Shchedrin made
their own versions of Perseus. The Surrealist Salvador Dalí cast a number of sculptures referencing Cellini's
statue, from small works created in series, to large statues like the one displayed on the Avenida del Mar in
Marbella, Spain.

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10. Baroque. In Baroque style, contrast, motion, exuberant details,
profound light, scale, and excitement were used to build a feeling of
admiration. The style originated in Rome in the beginning of the 17th
century, and spread quickly to France, Northern Italy, Spain and
Portugal, then to Austria, Southern Germany and Russia. It
developed in the 1730s to a much more glamorous style known as
rocaille or rococo which, until the middle of 18th century, appeared
in France and in Central Europe.

Example:
The greatest Baroque project was the completion of St. Peter's
Basilica, built over the early Christian "Old" St. Peter's. Although the original 16th century design was a central
plan, a long nave was added to make the church larger, therefore making the plan rectangular. An impressive
facade was then added in front of the nave, which ruined the effect of Michelangelo's dome (his dome is over the
original 16th century central plan, now the apse). The enormous size of St. Peter's -- the largest church in the
world -- was a way of emphasizing the importance of the Roman Catholic faith in the face of the Protestant
reformers.

11. Rococo Art. In Europe in the 18th century, Rococo architecture,

drawing, sculpture, and decorative arts became popular. The
extravagant and lively Rococo first emerged in inner design and
decoration in reaction to the firmness of the baroque period. The
word saloon means in French simply a living or a living room, and
the Rococo salons refer to central rooms in the Rococo style.
Furthermore, the concept of a 'salon' is an era of light which has
turned the lounge into a central space for aristocracy, where guests
may entertain themselves and engage in intellectual conversation.
Example:
Jean-Antoine Watteau is credited with the birth of Rococo painting.
Pilgrimage to the Isle of Cythera (1717), known also as The Embarkation for Cythera, is perhaps Watteau’s most
famous work. The painting melds a lush, Renaissance-style landscape with an allegorical scene in which a group
of couples either return from or set out for—scholars differ in their interpretations—Cythera, a small Greek island
near the mythical site of Aphrodite’s birth, which has long been associated with the goddess of love. Each of the
three couples in the foreground represents a different phase of courtship, while the flying cupids that take off into
the sky signal the island’s amorous associations.

12. Neo-classical. Simplification with its focus on asymmetry, bright

colors and decoration. With the growing popularity of the Grand Tour,
the collection of antiquities as mementos seemed to be popular. This
collecting practice laid the groundwork for many brilliant art pieces
and extended the traditional Renaissance across Europe and
America.
Example:

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The Cathedral of Vilnius is the main Roman Catholic cathedral
of Lithuania. This building is a prime example of neoclassical art, as it contains the key features that define that
time period. The columns are carved in a characteristic way of the time, and show off the true feel of that era.
There are sculptures on top of the cathedral that show that the
building is in fact a place of worship. The cross also represents the
catholic worship center. People come from all over the world to view
this work of art. This building is truly a wonder of the world.

13. Romanticism. Romance embraced individual identity and

subjectivity in order to combat the over-emphasis of logical thinking.
Artists started to investigate various physiological and psychological
situations and moods.
Example:
Théodore Géricault's large painting of the Raft of the Medusa initially caused considerable scandal and
controversy. The painting depicts a real-life tragic event: the shipwreck of 1816 in which hundreds of soldiers lost
their lives. That event stunned an entire nation because 150 people climbed onto the raft but only 15 managed to
be rescued and survived. The artist, who was still very young, portrayed the tragedy with surprising realism for
the time, by studying the bodies of both the living and the deadIt took
time for the work to be fully appreciated, as often happens with great
artists, but when it was first put on display the predominant emotion
was one of rejection.

14. Realism. Throughout the tumultuous period of revolt and social

change, realistic painters replaced traditional arts idealist
representations and literature with actual events and put a similar
weight throughout margins of society with portraits and allegories of
national history.
Example:
Inspired by a Greenwich Avenue restaurant, Edward Hopper crafts
out an art gem that induces the viewer into awareness. Like a puzzle, the piece is incomplete and Edward coveys
the gloomy aftermath of the Second World War in the streets of Manhattan, where he grew up.
Isolation, depravity, and a dark sadness is all you can see when your eyes feed on its details. The art ultimately
reflects the hard life, struggle, and hustle of individuals (both men and
women) during one of the darkest days in American history and that
is why the famous piece has been recognized and appreciated
throughout the country and beyond.

15. Impressionism. In all modern painting, impressionism may be

the most important movement. In the 1860s, a group of young artists
decided to paint what they could see, think and feel quite clearly.
They did not want to portray the history, Mythology or the life of great men, and in visual appearances they did
not seek perfection.
Example:

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This is Caillebotte's most famous and ambitious painting,
exhibited at the Third Impressionist Exhibition at the Rue Le
Peletier, where it was not well accepted by the
critic. L'Évenement wrote about this painting: "the drawing is of
good quality, but Caillebotte has forgotten to include the rain".
Anyways, this is one of the best representations of 19th century
Paris ever painted.

16. Post Impressionism. Post-Impressionism includes a wide variety of different artistic styles that share the
popular purpose to respond to the impressionist movement optically.
Example:
The Starry Night, one of the artist’s most known works, sits within
an oeuvre of work van Gogh was creating between 1885 and
1890. The paintings created during these years reflect his
personal vision and, like other Post-Impressionists, rely on a
vibrant color palette, inventive perspectives, interesting
compositions and purposeful brushstrokes.

17. Neo Impressionism. A variety of artists have initiated and

resurrected the original trend of Expressionism at the beginning of
the 20th century; yet Georg Baselitz, who led the rebirth that
overtaken German art in the 1970s, was inaugurating the most
prominent return to Expressionism. During the 1980s, this revival
was a part of the global return to the sensuality of painting-and to
the sparseness of minimalism and reproduction, which was not
stylistic or remote.
Example:
This painting depicts a sunny shore on the French Rivera, where six nude women in classical poses gather
around a picnic blanket before which a clothed and bearded older man is sitting. The sea reaches to the horizon,
its expanse broken by the diagonals of a thin yellow cloud and the folded sail of a boat. The title of the work is
taken from Charles Baudelaire's poem "L'invitation au voyage," "There, all is order and beauty, / Luxury, peace,
and pleasure." Matisse depicts his interpretation of this idyllic landscape of aesthetic pleasures. While spending
the summer in St. Tropez in 1904, Matisse worked closely with Signac and Cross, depicting the view of the shore
from Signac's house.

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Name: ______________________________________ Year & Section: __________________

Directions: Complete the table by writing examples (aside from the examples mentioned in the lesson), history
and the philosophy of the different art movements. Cite 2 examples per art movement.

EXAMPLES (2
ART MOVEMENTS HISTORY PHILOSOPHY
EXAMPLES EACH)
Cave Art
Egyptian
Greek
Roman
Medieval
Chinese
Japanese
Renaissance
Mannerism
Baroque
Rococo
Neo-Classical
Romanticism

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Realism
Impressionism
Post-Impressionism
Neo-Impressionism

Directions: Write the gist of the lessons that we have tackled. Write your answer on the space provided below. Focus
on the various Art Movements as topic.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________

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Directions: Below are some of the famous artworks of all time. Search for the artist, historical background and the
story behind these artworks.
1. Discus Thrower
A. Artist:
________________________________________________________________________________

B. Historical Background:
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
C. Story Behind the Artwork:
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
2. Pantheon
A. Artist:

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________________________________________________________________________________
B. Historical Background:
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
C. Story Behind the Artwork:
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
3. The Ruins
A. Artist:
________________________________________________________________________________
B. Historical Background:
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
C. Story Behind the Artwork:
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________

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___________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________

Name: _____________________________________ Year and Section: ____________________

Directions: Circle the letter of the correct answer.
1. Which of the following is an example of Greek Art?
A. Angono Petroglyphs C. Pantheon
B. Hagia Sophia D. Parthenon
2. Who painted Starry Night?
A. Leonardo de Vinci C. Pablo Picasso
B. Michelangelo D. Vincent van Gogh
3. Which of the following Art Movements focused on portraying religious images?
A. Baroque B. Greek Art C. Mannerism D. Renaissance
4. What is the focus of Neo-Classical Art?
A. Asymmetry and Decoration C. Revolt and Social Change
B. Extravagantness and liveliness D. Individual Identity and Subjectivity
5. What is the focus of Romanticism Art?
A. Asymmetry and Decoration C. Revolt and Social Change
B. Extravagantness and liveliness D. Individual Identity and Subjectivity
6. Why is Impressionism tagged as the most important movement?
A. Because the focus of Impressionism are the historical events
B. Because the artists decide to paint what they see, think and feel
C. Because it portrays the revolution and evolution of different countries

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D. Because the center of this movement are the
struggles of the people under conquerors
7. Which of the following is an example of Medieval artwork?
A. Hagia Sophia C. Virgin Mary
B. Perseus with the head of Medusa D. St. Peter’s Basilica
8. Which of the following is an example of artwork completed during Baroque era?
A. Hagia Sophia C. Virgin Mary
B. Perseus with the head of Medusa D. St. Peter’s Basilica
9. Which of the following is an example of Japanese art?
A. Gongbi B. Jeorgori C. Sarong D. Ukiyo-e
10. Which of the following is an example of Chinese art?
A. Gongbi B. Jeorgori C. Sarong D. Ukiyo-e

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