Eras of Art in Europe

Contributions of Renaissance ArtistsThe artists of the Renaissance created master artworks that became a major part of cultures worldwide.

Pablo PicassoLeonardo da Vinci

Claude Monet

Vincent Van Gogh

Raphael

Renaissance Art—the time of the great revival of art, literature, and learning in Europe marking the transition from the medieval to the modern world

Mona LisaBy Leonardo Da Vinci

The Sistine MadonnaBy Raphael

Renaissance Art

Mona LisaBy Leonardo Da Vinci

Leonardo da Vinci is believed to have created the most famous painting in history, the Mona Lisa.

Baroque—a style of architecture and decorative art that was popular throughout Europe from the 1500s to 1700s using heavy decorations

The Sistine ChapelBy Michelangelo

The Battle of the GranicusBy Charles Le Brun

Classicism—the styles characteristic of the literature and art of ancient Greece and Rome

SocratesBy Jacques-Louis David

The Seated Boxer

Impressionism—a style of French painting characterized by short brush strokes of bright colors to represent the effect of light on objects

Starry NightBy Vincent Van Gogh

Claude Monet

Impressionism and Cubism—It is believed that the works of Monet and Picasso reflect interests of society at that time.

Claude Monet'Factory, Horta de Ebbo',

1909 (oil on canvas)

Pablo Picasso

Romanticism—literature and art that stressed personal emotion, free imagination, and freedom from rules

The ColossusBy Francisco Goya

Satan Devouring One of His SonsBy Francisco Goya

Expressionism—art and literature characterized by the use of symbolism and of exaggeration and distortion

Little Italy By Kedrin Dmitriy

FatiguedBy Elena Kapustina

Cubism—a movement in modern art that emphasized geometrical shapes and forms to represent objects

Three MusiciansBy Pablo Picasso

The Flower CarrierBy Diego Rivera

Surrealism—art that expresses imaginative dreams and visions

The Face of WarBy Salvador Dali

Incarnated LogosBy Mihai Criste

Eras of Art in Europe

The best way to learn more about these artists is to use primary sources such as autobiographies, and secondary sources such as library books, encyclopedias, and the internet.

An autobiography is a book written by the author about his/her life.

A biography is a book written about someone else’s life.