Art History According to Anouchka (or, How To Impress Your Friends)

First and foremost (this about sums up the following in 3 minutes):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_BgmjlQyfw


In order to convince you that I am not simply a buffoon with a blog who sometimes uses it to disrespect art by plagiarizing -nay, brutalizing- works of past masters...  Well, maybe I am that person, but just a little bit.  Anyway, I do love art and have a great respect for it - even for the pieces that don't particularly appeal to me (*ahem*contemporaryart*ahem*).

In any case, below, you will find my VERY INCOMPLETE, OVERLY SIMPLIFIED outline of art history.  It has been divided into two parts:  Part 1 - Chronology and Part 2 - Occidental Art History in a Nutshell.  I started with the movements/periods that I personally find the most interesting, but then I got lazy and quit.  I promised myself that I would come back to it, but never have.  Who knows?  I might some time, but for now, I'm content with it as is.  (If I ever do finish it, you'll be the first to know.  Oh, just humor me and pretend it's something important.)

Without further ado, I give you the moment you've been waiting for (not)...

Art History According to Anouchka

Everything you need to know to make it look like you know what you're talking about in an art museum.

PART 1 - CHRONOLOGY

Introduction

The purpose of this timeline is to give learners a point in history in which to place more specific studies.  It also illustrates themes and patterns in art that are repeated throughout the course of history.

**IMPORTANT NOTE:  All dates are approximate as no distinct beginning/end can be assigned to any one specific period.  Additionally, these periods frequently overlap.

Prehistoric art in Europe and the Near East

30,000 BC to 2000 BC

(Paleolithic, Neolithic)

Art of the Ancient Near East

3500 BC – 636 AD

(Sumerian, Akkadian, Assyrian)

Ancient Egypt

2920 BC – 30 BC

(Early Dynastic Period, The Old Kingdom, The New Kingdom)

Art of the Prehistoric Aegean

3000 BC – 1200 BC

(Cycladic, Minoan, Mycenaean Art)

The Art of Ancient Greece

900 BC – 31 AD

(Geometric, Orientalizing, Archaic, Early Classical, High Classical, Late Classical, Hellenistic)

The Art of the Etruscans

900 BC – 89 BC

(Villanovan, Orientalizing, Archaic, Classical, Hellenistic)

The Art of Ancient Rome

753 BC – 337 AD

(Kings, Republic, Pompeii and the Cities of Vesuvius, Early Empire, High Empire, Late Empire)

The Art of Late Antiquity

29 AD – 526 AD

(Late Empire, Jewish Art & Early Christian Art, Imperial Christian Art & Architecture

The Art of Byzantium

527 AD – 1453 AD

(Early Byzantine Art, Middle Byzantine Art)

Romanesque Art

1000 AD -1200 AD

(France, Germany, Normandy, England)

Gothic Art

1140 AD – 1500 AD

(Early Gothic, High Gothic)

Renaissance

1260 AD – 1520 AD

(Painting, Sculpture, Architecture: Italian, Flemish)

Mannerism

1500s AD

Baroque

1500s AD – 1600s AD

(Painting, Sculpture, Architecture: Italian, Flemish, Dutch, Spanish, French)

Rococo

Neo-Classicism

Romanticism

Realism

Impressionism

Post-Impressionism

I’m not interested anymore…

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PART 2 - OCCIDENTAL ART HISTORY IN A NUTSHELL

Introduction

The purpose of this compilation is to provide a brief description of the history of art in the occidental, or western world. Each designated section highlights major works, terms, artists (if applicable) and themes of the period being discussed.

**IMPORTANT NOTE: As I do not hold a higher degree in the study of art history, this page is by no means to be used as an authority on this topic!  Everything you find here will be based on my educated interpretations of the subject, but my studies are not exhaustive.  

All dates are approximate as no distinct end/beginning can be assigned to any one specific period. Additionally, these periods frequently overlap.  

Prehistoric art in Europe and the Near East

30,000 BC to 2000 BC

• Paleolithic
  • Venus of Willendorf (Nude Woman)
    • Willendorf, Austria ; ca. 28,000-25,000 BC
  • Cave Paintings
    • Lascaux, France ; ca. 15,000-13,000 BC
• Neolithic
  • Çatal Höyük
    • Turkey ; ca. 6,000-59,000 BC
  • Stonehenge
    • Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, England ; ca. 2,550-1,600 BC

Terms

-Lithic – stone related

-Paleo – old/early

-Meso – middle

-Neolithic – new/late

-Twisted perspective – Showing a figure from multiple points of view

Art of the Ancient Near East

3500 BC – 636 AD

• Sumerian Art
  • Emerged 4000 BC, just north of Persian Gulf
  • Ziggurat
    • Ur, Iraq ; ca. 2100 BC
• Akkadian Art
  • Emerged 2350 BC, from northeast, dominated Sumer
  • Victory stele of Naram-Sin
    • From Susa, Iran (originally set up at Sippar, Iraq) ; 2254-2218 BC
• Assyrian Art
  • Northern Mesopotamia; took over Mesopotamia; brutal, ruthless warriors; art = propaganda
  • Citadel of Sargon II
    • Dur Sharrukin, Iraq ; ca. 720-705 BC

Terms

-Mesopotamia – modern Iraq (Sumer, Akkad, Assyria)

-Ziggurat - monumental platform with temple or shrine on top

-Stele (pl. stelae) – upright stone slabs used as markers

-Lamassu – large stone sculpture, man-beast guardians of palace gates, intimidation

Ancient Egypt

2920 BC – 30 BC

• Early Dynastic Period
  • Pallete of King Narmer/Menes (One of first labeled pieces of art)
    • From Hierakonpolis ; ca. 3000-2920 BC
  • Mortuary precinct of Djoser, Imhotep (First named architect in history)
    • Saqqara ; ca. 2630-2611
• The Old Kingdom
  • Great Pyramids
    • Gizeh ; ca. 2571 – 2472 BC
• The New Kingdom
  • 1570 – 1085 BC ; “Most brilliant”
  • Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut
    • Deir el-Bahri ; ca. 1473-1458 BC

Terms

-Menes (identified with King Narmer) – Legendary king from upper Egypt who conquered lower & fused the two

-Mastaba – “Bench” Royal tomb type during the Early Dynastic Period (stone/mud brick)

-Colonnade – Row of columns/uprights supporting horizontal member (similar to post & lintel, but a row)

-Pylon – Gateway/entrance into temple

-Hypostyle hall – Columns providing support for ceiling above, raised roof at very center with open gap (windows)

-Clerestory – Open gap (windows) in hypostyle hall, grated window to provide light inside the building

Art of the Prehistoric Aegean

3,000 BC – 1,200 BC

• Cycladic Islands/Art
  • 3000 BC – No writing
  • Figurine of a woman
    • From Syros (Cyclades), Greece ; ca. 2500 – 2300 BC
• Minoan Art
  • Named after legendary King Minos (Minotaur)
  • Bull-leaping (fresco)
    • From the palace at Knossos (Crete), Greece ; ca. 1450-1400 BC
• Mycenaean Art
  • Parts of Greek mainland, took over Minoans, forerunners to Greeks
  • Citadel at Tiryns
    • Greece ; ca. 1400–1200 BC

Terms

-Fresco – Mural painted in wet plaster

The Art of Ancient Greece

900 BC – 31 AD

• The Geometric & Orientalizing Periods
• The Archaic Period 

  
  

  ...This is where I stopped.  Perhaps (if I feel like it) I will continue!
  
  
  Happy museuming!