Unit 9: Art in Time and Place – The Western World
The formal and stylistic aspects of artworks are often determined largely by the era and location in which they were created. In this unit, we will study art through its evolution in time and place in the Western world. You will develop the tools you need to identify the major formal and stylistic trends punctuating the timeline of Western art history. This approach will enable us to see the relationship between works of art and their specific social-historical contexts. This unit will also reveal a certain continuum that runs through Western art from Ancient Greece to modern times.
Completing this unit should take you approximately 12 hours.
Upon successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- associate different artistic styles with specific geographies, eras, beliefs, and historical events; and
- link artworks and artists based on historical and geographic contexts.
- associate different artistic styles with specific geographies, eras, beliefs, and historical events; and
9.1: The Earliest Art
This article will help you get a sense for the way art and representation have been an inherent part of human activity since the Paleolithic period. Note the way in which paintings recovered from that time tend to revolve around the themes of game, hunting and fertility.
9.2: Art of the Ancient Near East and Egypt
This article discusses the significance of the Ancient Near East in the development of the written word and the emergence of figural representation. Think about how the technologies of writing changed society and culture
Read this article about the art associated with Sumer's oldest known cities, Ur and Uruk. What do these works say about the importance and role of administrative organizations in these early societies, as reflected in their artifacts?
This video discusses an important military victory commemorated in the Victory Stele of Naram-Sin. Think about why are military victories so important as a topic in sculpture of this time?
This article discusses Hammurabi's rise to power and the stele on which his legal code was inscribed. Note what new ideas begin to emerge in this time and the role of this new medium in shaping society.
This article covers the emergence and longevity of ancient Egyptian society and culture. Why do you think Egyptian artistic styles were so long-lasting, given what you've learned about the society and its history?
Read about the aesthetics and social function of Egyptian art. What were the main social roles for art in Egypt?
Read about the methods and materials for producing Egyptian sculpture, and make sure you can describe the different processes involved.
9.3: Art in Ancient Greece and Rome
This article introduces the 900-year period of Antiquity, discussing the emergence of Greece and Rome and their respective arts. As you go read, note how classical themes from antiquity will emerge in later eras, such as the Renaissance, Romanticism and Academicism.
Watch this video about the Greek krater vase, one of this period's most abundant and well-documented artifacts. Take special note of the different styles of these vases as they evolved over time, and their many uses in daily life.
Watch this video about the Greek kouros sculptures, which represented ideas of male beauty. Think about what was new in the development of this art form.
Watch this video about Roman sculpture and its relationship to Greek precedents. Roman and Greek art are often compared with each other, given the strong influence of the latter on the former. What do you see as being similar and different in the styles of the Greeks and Romans?
Watch this video about the Nike of Samothrace sculpture and its reconstruction. How much do you think a major reconstruction of art might change the original experience and meaning?
This video and article discusses the Augustue of Primaporta sculpture, its connection to Greek aesthetics and the Roman political context. What ideas of Roman political culture do you see being manifest in the artwork?
9.4: Art During the Middle Ages
Read this excellent introduction to art and early Christianity. What do you see as the main differences between art of this era and the preceding ones?
Read this article, which discusses the importance of the legalization of Christianity by Constantine for the development of Christian art. Note the impact of the political realities on developments in art.
Watch this video, which discusses of a mosaic in the church of San Vitale in Ravenna. "Byzantine art" refers to art that bears the influence of the Byzantine Empire's Christian art style. Mosaic was one of the preferred mediums of Byzantine art. Reflect upon the formal qualities of this art form, asking why it might have been a medium of choice for Christianity in its early stages.
Read this article to get a sense of the different populations in Europe during the Middle Ages, and to gain an understanding of the meaning of the word "Barbarian".
Read this article to learn about the formal qualities associated with Barbarian art through examples of one of its common artistic objects: the brooch.
This article explores the cultural and artistic developments in the Saxon Empire. What forms remind you of Barbarian art and what forms remind you of Roman art? What historical background can help explain the varied elements of style present in Ottonian art and architecture?
The name gives it away: Romanesque architecture is based on Roman architectural elements. The rounded Roman arch is the literal basis for structures built in this style.
Read this article to understand the role that some forms of sculpture played in Gothic architecture. How does sculpture of this period differ from earlier ones?
This article discusses the architectural innovations associated with the Gothic style of architecture. Many of the advances in building techniques that took place during the Gothic period were achieved with the goals of building higher structures and creating brighter interiors.
9.5: European Art During the Renaissance
Watch this video to understand the new formal qualities that made their way into art during the transitional phase between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.
Read this learn about the intellectual climate associated with the Renaissance.
Masaccio's Holy Trinity exemplifies the ideals of the Early Renaissance in Florence.
- Read this short article about Flanders, the site of another 'Renaissance' in European art.
Watch this video to get a sense for how the ideas and ideals of the Renaissance started taking shape in Northern art.
Read this introduction to the art of the High Renaissance. What distinguishes art of this time from the earlier Renaissance periods? What new ideas are artists using at this time?
Raphael is one of the masters of the High Renaissance. This article explains why his work is considered so significant to this period.
Read this article and watch the video, which discuss Leonardo Da Vinci's The Last Supper, an artwork often considered exemplary in terms of its expression of High Renaissance values.
Watch this video for a description of the sculpture by Michelangelo, another master of the High Renaissance. How does his work seem to differ from that of others, such as da Vinci and Raphael?
9.6: Baroque and Rococo Art
Watch this video, which discusses and compares artworks from Protestant Holland and Catholic Flanders. Reflect and take notes upon how the differing religious contexts of these two regions affected the form and content of their art.
This article explains the historical forces at play in the creation of the exuberant Baroque style in Italy during the 17th century.
Watch this video to get a sense for the distinctive classicizing style of French art in the 17th century.
9.7: 18th and 19th Century European Art
Rococo is characterized by a light, erotic, exuberant style, which emerged in 18th-century France.
In contrast to Rococo, Neoclassical art is stark, classicizing, and idealistic.
Watch this video for a discussion of the Romantic style as it emerged in 19th-century Europe. Take note of the distinction between the Romantic style and the Neoclassical style.
This video discusses various art styles associated with the rapidly-changing European societies of the second half of the 19th century. Take note of the innovations associated with Realist, Impressionist, and Post-Impressionist art.
Read this article, which discusses the forces that helped shape what we call "Modernism" and some of its characteristics.
9.8: Modern Art: Realism vs. Academic Art
Read this article to get a sense of why, how, and when Realism emerged as an artistic movement.
Watch this video on an important Realist work by Courbet. What makes this work an especially good example of the Realist movement in art?
Read this article to get a sense of why Realism is considered a socially-conscious artistic movement.
After Courbet, Manet is historically the most significant Realist painter. Watch this video about one of his works.
Watch this video and read the accompanying article. They discuss an important artwork by the Realist painter Manet. Take note of its modern characteristics, as well as how it was received by its contemporary audience.
9.9: Impressionism
This article introduces Impressionism, which was the movement that emerged after Realism. What were the main ideas that drove the development of this new artistic movement?
Watch this video, which discusses a series of paintings done by artist Claude Monet that are good representatives of the Impressionist movement as a whole.
- Watch this video about a historically significant Renoir painting. A still image of 'Moulin de la Galette' has been provided so that you may study the points made in the video more closely.
9.10: Post-Impressionism
Watch this video, which discusses an artwork by Georges Seurat. What characteristics of A Sunday on La Grande Jatte – 1884 can be considered reactions to Impressionism?
Take note of the discussion of structure and color in Van Gogh's Portrait of Joseph Roulin.
Watch this video and read the article, both of which discuss an artwork by the Post-Impressionist painter Paul Cézanne. Take note of Cézanne's relationship to older artistic traditions, how he at once reflected on visual traditions (including Impressionism) and innovated through form.
Watch this video, which discusses artwork by Post-Impressionist painter Paul Gauguin. According to Beth Harris and Steven Zucker, how is Gauguin's use of color innovative?
9.11: The Early 20th Century
- Read this article for an introduction to Fauvism.
Read this article on Futurism in Italy, and then be sure to check out several of the other articles and videos about Futurism and Dadaism in the context of World War I.
Read and watch all the materials on this page related to surrealism, Latin American modernism, and American art through World War II.
9.12: World War II and Beyond
Read this article about the influence of Nazi Germany on the art historical record, and how the concepts of decadent art was used to promote a state-sanctioned view of art.
Read and watch the resources on this page about Abstract Expressionism and the New York School. Make sure you that you focus on the ideas that informed the artists associated with this movement.
Read and watch all the material on this page, which covers architecture after World War II. Pay attention especially to historical periods and geographic contexts.
Unit 9 Wrap-Up
In this assignment, you will be asked to apply the knowledge and observation skills that you have acquired in this course in order to situate the following artworks in their appropriate historical and geographical context of production.
Take this assessment to see how well you understood this unit.
- This assessment does not count towards your grade. It is just for practice!
- You will see the correct answers when you submit your answers. Use this to help you study for the final exam!
- You can take this assessment as many times as you want, whenever you want.