ROM, The history of European Art Styles

Medieval: the Middle Ages, period of time between the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the 400s and the beginning of the Renaissance in 1400s (in Italy) and in 1500s (in the rest of Europe). Symbolism and Devotion:
Symbolism because most of the symbols represented Christian ideas.
Devotion because religious institutions were the chief patrons of the arts during this time. Medieval art frequently expressed religious belief and hope.

Renaissance: 1400 – 1620: Renaissance means Rebirth; it was a renewal of the ideals and values that underlay the greatness of Ancient Roman civilization. Naturalism and Classicism.
Naturalism because artists mastered the means of portraying the physical world as they eye sees it, in the naturalistic way.
Classicism because architects and artist endeavoured to revive the artistic forms and conventions of ancient Classical Rome, which seemed to them a golden age.


Baroque 1600-1750: Grandeur and Extravagance
Grandeur because the baroque style represents a dynamic, opulent interpretation of Classical Roman art, characterized by dramatic effects.
It is Extravagant because it was designed to have a strong visual impact; hence its sense of movement, its complex yet integrated arrangements of elements, its sculptural and decorative qualities and its rich materials.

Rococo: 1730 – 1770: Lightness and Sensuality. This style was called the picturesque or modern fashion. In the late 1700s, critics invented the word rococo meaning rock-work or shell work.
It was Lightness: less serious, more playful and more imaginative than the Baroque style which preceded it.
It was Sensual because in subject matter and appearance, Rococo was more intimate, sensual and relaxed than Baroque art. Natural and markedly curvaceous forms were among its hallmarks.


Neoclassical: 1760- 1840: Simplicity and Idealism
Simplicity: partly of a reaction against Rococo style, the Neo Classical style tended toward simplicity of form, restraint in decoration, flatness, symmetry, and geometrical shapes.
Idealism: Neo Classical artists and architects consciously attempted to create a reformed, ideal style based on universal laws of nature and reason.

Victorian Period: 1830-1900: Historicism and Eclecticism
During the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901), Great Britain became the most powerful industrial and imperial state in the world. The word is now applied to European and North America decorative arts of the time.
Historicism: there was no single Victorian style. Instead, architects and designers revived various historical styles. The classical tradition lost its pre eminent position .
Eclecticism: Victorian architects and designers combined elements from different styles in the same design. Victorian styles represented a reaction against certain aspects of contemporary society such as industrialization. Other styles resulted from a nostalgia for the past or an interest in non European cultures.

After 1890: Modernism and Diversity
Modernism: in aesthetics, choice of materials, and fabrication methods, many architects, artist and designers rejected tradition in an attempt to create a style that was appropriate to an industrial world.
Diversity: no unified style developed in the year after 1890. As it turned out, modernism took numerous forms. At the same time, less purely modernist approaches continued to borrow from the past

Art Nouveau Style in France and Belgium 1890-1905: this style tends to be sinuous and asymmetrical and it often emphasizes plants, languid female figures and motif derived from Japanese decorative arts. This style achieve it highest popularity at the Paris International Exposition in 1900.

Art Deco Style: 1920 -1940. Art Deco is a very symmetrical with stylized geometric decoration and bright colours. During 1930, the style became more severe and functional, with less ornamentation and greater emphasis on the properties of the materials used. By 1930 a range of streamed lined and functional everyday objects in Art Deco style was readily available.