Each art period, from antiquity to the Romantic period, had different types and styles with their own traditions. These were not only religious conventions but also had to do with distinctiveness in approach and symbolism.
Ancient art:
Ionian, Dorian, and Corinthian
In Greek architecture, these three designations were used to indicate architectural style. Ionian, in contrast, is the least rich in ornamentation and onments than the Dorian and Corinthian orders. Refinement and an eye for decoration (scrolls and volutes) emerged more and more, of which the Corinthian style was the epitome.
Byzantine
What is now the area around the Mediterranean Sea was the Byzantine empire from 330 AD. A characteristic of this was the depiction of saints and biblical stories. Theological symbols such as crosses and sacraments appeared in mosaics and paintings. It was also a tradition to use a gold backdrop.
Renessaince: Myths and Religion
Monumentalism
In the Renaissance, monumentalism, or the exaltation of an important god, hero, or building, was encouraged by patrons. Example: Pope Julius II commissioned architect Bramante to remodel St. Peter’s. The reason for this was to surpass all other buildings of ancient antiquity. In the monumental tradition, much Christian theology was intertwined with mythology. There was also the ambition to be of lasting importance.
Idealism
During this same period, physical existence was seen as less important than the spirit and soul of man. This was reflected in art through a rejection of historicism and materialism. As a result, there was an obsession with the pursuit of perfection. For example, Michelangelo’s proportions in the body were very muscular. With Da Vinci’s art, idealism was different again. Instead, he placed more emphasis on the divine and the unity of people and their environment.
Illusionism
Strongly related to naturalism, this type of traditional art was intended to fool the viewer. The term “trompe l’oeil” stands for “deceives the eye,” which was used by painters to make a painting appear as real as possible. What we now call photography was, in Illusionism, the effort to make a representation of reality as real as possible.
Manichaeism
In the late Renaissance, a number of Italian painters became inspired to use exaggerated poses and colors. Because simplicity and grandeur disappeared in Manïerism, this type of style was seen as tacky. This was also because it brought an adjustment to the harmonious and balanced compositions of Renessiance that were so beloved.
Baroque: drama and conflict in art
Allegorism
In allegorical art, abstract concepts are depicted in characters. With this, the artist was eager to reveal a hidden truth, which the viewer had to discover. It was especially the poetry of the time that inspired many artists, such as Nicolas Poussin and Johannes Vermeer, to incorporate this symbolism into their works as well.
Sectarianism
With the division of Europe between Protestant and Catholic Christians, there was also a great difference in art. For example, the depiction of saints was greatly enhanced in painting, but Protestants stuck to Biblical stories and the spiritual reality behind them. Especially in Catholic Spain, there were artists like Zurbaran who did papal paintings. The Dutch Rembrandt focused more on piety and creating a realistic picture of the biblical stories.
Gesturalism
In the late 14th century, artists experimented with facial expressions and hand gestures. These human postures, often many and chaotic in a painting, enhanced the drama so loved in the Baroque period. The term contains the word “gesture,” which means posture, and opened a way into Neoclassicism.
Caravaggism
This late Baroque style comes from the artist “Carvaggio,” who wanted to achieve a greater realism than that of the Renaissance. He did this by creating a great contrast between light and darkness, also called “chiaroscuro. It is also characteristic that Religueze characters were depicted as ordinary people rather than being idealized. This brought much criticism from the Christian establishment when Mary was depicted in a painting with a bulging belly and bare feet. In addition, the human body had an erotic side but also a spiritual one.
Absolutism
The monarchs of the time, including Louis XIV, had absolute power. This was also depicted in portraits, in which kings or countries were painted with gold and clothing. This style of art was there to glorify this power and celebrate nationalism. These portraits were full of national symbolism and can also be seen as propaganda for the established monarchy.
Romanticism: The Age of Intuition and Emotion
Orientalism
Condemning the non-Western world was central to Orientalism. Paintings by Chassériau and Ingres depicted the Arab world as Westerners saw it. These works of art were often full of prejudice, cruelty, and poverty.
Medievalism
Romanticism saw the return of love for the life of the Middle Ages. In part, this was caused by industrialization and the commercial dominance of Neoclassicism. So people were again inspired by a pure and idyllic life. There was also a great nationalism in the Romantic period, which reminded me of the time when Western nations had their origins: the Middle Ages.
Realism
Realism represents not only the depiction of the real but especially the eye for ordinary people and nature. In fact, in the Golden Age, there was a lot of focus on portraying the high nobility in art. Kings and dukes also had the money to have themselves painted. In addition, realism was a countermovement to the excessive use of color and emotion that prevailed in Romanticism. Painters such as Gustave Courbet wanted to return to a simpler and more realistic representation of life in works of art.
Materialism
The idea behind materialism in the Romantic period arose from the idea that a person’s emotional being is shaped by their environment. It also applies to a reaction to idealism, in which art was instead very sober and mundane. In materialism, subjects such as class and a person’s gender came into strong focus.
Western vs. non-Western art
Art history often refers to Western masters. This is not very crazy, but it does leave many wondering about Asian and African art. In fact, the art periods on other continents also went through many developments. For example, under the Chinese Ming Dynasty and the succeeding Qing Dynasty, there were great differences. These differed, especially in the western influences that came along with the last dynasty (1644–1922).
What is characteristic, however, is that the concept and idea of what art was to represent were roughly the same in both the West and other continents. In the same periods, religion, nature, and the absolutism of song played a major role in the works we have today.
