Vintage Images Of Art Paintings

Prehistoric Paintings

The history and evolution of paintings can be traced back in time to the discovery of artefacts from the pre-historic era. The evolution of art in its many forms is said to span all races and cultures across the world. Historians have concluded that the evolution of art in ancient Africa, Asia, Europe, Egypt, Greece, Rome, and ancient China have each had a significant influence upon the other at various times in history, since the dawn of mankind there has existed an intrinsic desire in human beings to express creative ideas through visual art. Moreover, by in-depth study of pre-historic cave paintings, historians have been able to establish to a certain degree the customs and traditions of ancient civilizations, importantly, the creation of art paintings and art sculptures from across the globe, is said to have immensely contributed to the enrichment and fulfilment of the human soul. Therefore, it could be said that it was written that the legacy of pre-historic art would eventually be appreciated and valued by future generations as the writing was indeed on the wall.

Classical Art Paintings (480 BC - 323 BC)

The Western Classical art era is said to have originated in Greece and Rome and became prominent from about 480 B.C until approximately 323 B.C, importantly, this time was considered the classical Greek era, also known as the Golden Age of Greece. In ancient Greece classical art covered painting, sculpture, and architecture, in particular, some Classical artisans specialized in drawings and paintings of the nude human form, which was widely acceptable and embraced as a virtuous and ethical practice by that society. Greek and Roman artists created paintings and sculptures that were naturalistic in style, in other words art which was painted to appear very realistic and three dimensional when observed. Those paintings included works such as portraits, landscapes, architecture, and mythological figures. It is said that ancient Greek and ancient Roman artists invented and specialized in artistic techniques which depicted accuracy of detail, proportionality, realism, as well as harmony and beauty in art paintings and sculptures.

Classical art is partly seen as a glorification of the physical human form, which in bygone eras was painted and sculptured to represent mythological Gods and Goddesses in Greek and Roman religions, especially the male nude form. The celebration of nudity in art among the ancient Greeks had contrasted greatly with religious attitudes prevalent in certain other parts of the ancient world at that particular time in history, namely, there were some societies that regarded the depiction of human nudity in art as degrading and morally unacceptable. Classical art embraces the ancient cultures and principles of ancient Greece and Rome, which has endured the test of time, in addition, Classical art has significantly influenced the foundation of visual art and architecture within a great many civilizations across the world.

Italo-Byzantine Art Paintings (900 CE - 1400 CE)

The painting style that became popular in Italy in the 13th and 14th century was called the Italo-Byzantine, which was essentially a type of Christian religious artistic expression, and Italians called it La Maniera Greca, the Greek manner, because it was influenced by Byzantine (Eastern Roman Empire). Greek was thought to be the dominant language and culture during the era of the Byzantine Empire. The term 'Byzantine' derives from the city of Byzantium, which according to some sources was founded by a legendary King or sovereign called Byzas between 667 BC - 657 BC, however, some historians state that Byzantium was an ancient Greek city that existed in classical antiquity and which eventually became known as Constantinople in late antiquity, today that region is known as Istanbul and it is the largest city in Turkey. Istanbul is located on the European side of the Bosphorus (the strait that connects the Black Sea to the Mediterranean) and originally this region was thought to be an important trade route which connected Europe with Asia.

In the Byzantine era Christianity dominated most European nations, while paganist religions were declining. Meanwhile, medieval Christian groups developed new attitudes towards art, and their ethical stance censured nudity in paintings, especially nude divinities. Moreover, early Christianity emphasized chastity and celibacy, and generally discounted depictions of nudity in any environment, and in the medieval era artists abandoned many of the techniques used by Classical artists which conveyed naturalism and realism, instead, they adopted a new artistic style and technique that depicted paintings of figures within a flat two-dimensional space, which often included mosaics and signified virtue, purity, and divinity, also, Byzantine art featured historical events, saints, angels, and creations of idealistic visions of heaven. Byzantine art attempted to reflect religious ideas about the nature of divinity and create paintings which represented an idealistic environment and portrayed spiritual entities as opposed to worldly beings. Byzantine paintings were intended to express symbolic figures that existed in a kind of heavenly or surrealistic sphere, in contrast to the physical world, resulting in a style of paintings which appear intentionally flat, animated, unrealistic, and two-dimensional.

Renaissance Art Paintings (1400 CE - 1700 CE)

Renaissance art was the so-called great revival art era, originated in Italy from the city of Florence and Rome during the late 14th century, this style of painting eventually reached the height of popularity across many parts of Europe between the 15th and 16th centuries. Renaissance is a French term for 'rebirth' which was the era when artists developed a great hunger to revisit and retrain in the classical techniques that were once used during ancient Greece and ancient Rome in order to create art paintings and sculptures to achieve realism, naturalism, proportionality, and harmony in the chosen subject matter. Many painters of the renaissance era were advocates of individualism and humanism in art. In that era innovative media (art materials) and new painting techniques began to be developed and utilized to create sophisticated three-dimensionality, and naturalism in paintings, and one such technique was called linear perspective, which is the skill of creating the illusion of depth, distance, and parallel convergence on a flat surface. Renaissance artist also introduced a technique known as sfumato, which is an Italian term meaning vanished or evaporated, this method was used most impressively to transition and soften various shades of colours in paintings to create a deceptive almost imperceptible appearance between different colours, in addition, renaissance painters mastered a technique called, chiaroscuro, an Italian term meaning light and dark, which is the skill of implementing strong contrasts between light and dark shades intended to emphasis or give prominence to important figures in paintings and drawings.

In this era there was a development of new art materials and new painting techniques which provided renaissance painters with a greater freedom of expression when producing paintings. Moreover, society began to give artists much greater respect and admiration as they were seen as intellectuals as well as artists, subsequently, their increased status gave them much greater earning potential and a better standard of living, furthermore, during this era more art painters were being commissioned by the church, convents, civil government, the aristocracy, and wealthy people regarding employment for specified works of art, which were contracts worth very large sums of money. Employment for art painters increased and their earning potential depended on their reputation and style of work. Italian painter Masaccio (born 1401 - died 1428) was one of the early pioneers of Italian renaissance paintings, however, the first famous art celebrity was attributed to the Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci (born 1452 - died 1519). Other great artists, who made a significant impact in this era were, Michelangelo (born 1475 - died 1564), and Raffaello Sanzio also known as Raphael (born 1483 - died 1520), collectively, these prominent artists created the foundations for renaissance art paintings in the 15th and 16th centuries.

Baroque Art Paintings (1600 CE - 1750 CE)

Baroque art spanned 16th - 18th century and was a highly elaborate and embellished style of art painting and architecture that originated in Rome, Italy, during the late 16th century, it quickly spread across many parts of Europe, before it eventually became the first painting style to attain worldwide popularity. The term 'baroque' is said to have originated from the Portuguese term 'barroco', meaning, imperfectly shaped pearl, however, other sources state that this term was derived from the French name 'barroque' meaning, irregularly shaped, and although this term was initially used to describe pearls, eventually, the name baroque became commonly associated with the expression, baroque art paintings. The baroque art painting style is known for being exceedingly ornate, and is characterized by great drama, typically, such paintings are said to exhibit exuberance, movement, intense light and dark shadows, and rich colours, also, Baroque paintings were spectacularly designed to capture the imagination and strike its audiences with a great sense of awe.

Italy was undergoing drastic changes in the 16th century, including, religious, political, and artistic, but also turbulent regional domestic disputes erupted across the nation. Meanwhile, in Rome many art painters began to develop a profound interest in ancient Egyptian art, including Egyptian coffins (sarcophaguses) and various other ancient Egyptian artefacts and antiquities. Those artists endevoured to harnessed their inspirational ideas to lay the foundations for baroque style art paintings. But interestingly, other sources assert that it was in fact the Roman Catholic Church, who had greatly influenced baroque style art in Rome during the 16th century. Nevertheless, when the baroque art movement was founded, on certain occasions, this style of painting had conflicted with the religious beliefs of the Christian churches. It is also important to mention that the Protestant Reformation movement (Protestantism) was gaining popularity across European nations in this era, which had prompted the Roman Catholic Church to adopt a propagandist program by tactfully using art, as a means, to galvanize the general public's faith in the philosophical teachings of the Catholic Church.

Baroque style art paintings are characterized by an abundant display of rich colours, sensuality, drama, dynamism, and grandeur. Baroque art paintings were sometimes breath-taking visions to behold due to the depiction of deep and stunning colours intentionally applied to be emotionally captivating, and it was this aspect of baroque paintings that had partly contributed to its global charm and popularity. Peter Paul Rubens (born 1577 - died 1640), Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1573 - 1610), Diego Velázquez (born 1599 - died 1660), Rembrandt van Rijn (born 1606 - died 1669), and Nicolas Poussin (born 1594 - died 1665) are painters categorized as the fantastic five of the baroque magical era, a time span said to have produced some of the most important and famous artworks in the history of Western art. By the mid-18th century, the baroque painting style had begun to decline, it was followed by the emergence of a closely related style of painting called Rococo (roughly mid-18th - late-18th century), which was equally exuberant, but exhibited a kind of feminine charm, depicting rich but softer colours, and portrayals of ostentatious accentuated lines and curvatures.

Neoclassicism Art Paintings (1760 CE - 1850 CE)

Neoclassicism is the literal term for 'new classicism' or a revival of the classical principles and values of art which was prominent during the classical era of ancient Greece and ancient Rome. During the 18th century certain artists endeavoured to reclaim and promote the classical styles of art paintings and architecture that had once graced the Golden Age of Greece. The term 'neoclassicism' was derived from scholars and artists in the 18th century, who attempted to reproduce the classical artistic principles, and ideals of ancient Greece and Rome, while attempting to achieve a much greater degree of excellence than their predecessors of renaissance art painters that existed between the 14th and 16th centuries. The 18th century witnessed the evolution of a very influential philosophical and political movement called 'Enlightenment', which had focused intensely on the exploration and research of the human condition, and over time the term 'Enlightenment' became closely associated with the neoclassical art movement, also, it is believed that the neoclassical artists who lived in that era, had sought to express a sense of rationality, logic, and science within their art paintings.

Neoclassical art paintings are said to be characterized by simplicity of geometric forms, they exhibit classical architecture, an application of smooth paint surfaces with moderate depictions of colours and a tendency to show plain colours, rather than strong vivid colours, meanwhile, the background scenes are normally austere with moderate adornments. Neoclassical paintings are renowned to be grandeur in scale and typically such paintings depict precise and clearly defined figures, and they emphasize objectivity, reason, and intellect, as opposed to appealing to the emotions or creativity. In addition, neoclassical paintings, as well as classical art paintings are perceived as having a timeless quality and universal appeal, as such, there is a well-known consensus amongst art connoisseurs that such paintings have set a standard that will be appreciated just as much by future generations, thus the term classical art paintings.

Romantic Art Paintings (1800 CE - 1900 CE)

According to some sources Romanticism originated in the late 18th century from a German literary movement called Sturm und Drang, which translates to Storm and Stress. This proto-romantic movement was centred on literature and music, but it had also influenced the visual arts. It was a movement which had placed great emphasis on subjectivity, imagination, and human emotions, especially, intense human emotions, which that movement believed to be a positive force of human expression by which to experience this world, and the members of that movement had strongly believed in their courageous philosophical attitude to life and actively promoted their ideology, whilst, deeply opposed to the restraint of such emotions as they believed that human emotional suppression would ultimately prove to be unhealthy.

Sturm and Drang was the title of a play written by a German author called Friedrich Maximilian Klinger, in 1776. The subject of the play was the American Revolution, and it was written for a famous Switzerland theatre owner and director named Abel Seyler. The aim of the Sturm and Drang plays was to unsettle audiences by intentionally causing shock and consternation. It is believed that after certain artists witnessed this play, some of them were inspired to experiment with such themes by skilfully conveying those ideas through their paintings. The birth of Romantic art paintings is attributed to famous painters such as to Francesco Hayez, William Blake, Antoine-Jean Gros, Théodore Géricault, and Eugène Delacroix, who are thought to be some of the artists that pioneered Romantic Art paintings which occurred late-18th century. It is thought that Romantic artists had attempted to express their nostalgic sentiments through paintings, which attempted to capture the essence of an era before the rise of the Industrial Revolution. However, other scholars claim that the romantic era originated because of the disillusionment that many people felt with the enlightenment values of reason and order, following the devastation of the French Revolution which began in 1789.

Romantic art paintings characterized by the idealization of all beauty, subjectivity, freedom of individual expression, a great passion for the natural world and its splendour, and the expression of powerful human emotions. Romantic painters were effective in comprising a blend of fantasy and reality, while the subject matter were wide-ranging, including, the depiction of scenes that cause shock, such as depictions of revolutions, chaotic battles of war and destruction, images of people expressing joy, pain, grief, and themes that show romantic situations or sensuality. Romantic art painters exhibited painting techniques showing unrestrained paint brush application, with the addition of rich complimentary colours to create visually stunning imagery, and they gave less attention to accuracy and the finer details of the subject matter, when compared to previously established disciplines for art paintings.

Impressionism Art Paintings (1860s CE - 1880s CE)

Four young and very talented French art painters met in Paris in the 1860s, while studying under the esteemed tutor Charles Gleyre, they were Alfred Sisley, Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Frederic Bazille, these art painters were destined to become some of the most prominent pioneers of a revolutionary style of art called impressionism, however, the life expectancy of this innovative, beautiful, and highly controversial painting style would end rather abruptly by about 1886. The impressionist art movement is said to have started in Paris, initially from a group of Parisian based artists whose independent creations brought them recognition, importantly, the first impressionist exhibition was called the Anonymous Society of Painters, and it was held between April - May 1874. The prestigious event was hosted within an art gallery at 35 Boulevard des Capucines, in Paris, and the art exhibition was organised by Claude Monet, Camille Pissarro, Edgar Degas, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Alfred Sisley, and Berthe Morisot, it also included exhibits of at least 30 different aspiring artists.

When the impressionist art painting style was first introduced it caused great controversy, because it was a new style which did not conform to the accepted principles and standards of traditional art paintings, for one thing, in past eras when artists were commissioned to create a painting, they were expected to listen to instructions and directions from their patrons and the painter would only receive payment for his creation after the commissioned artwork was completed to the satisfaction of the purchaser. In that era artists were not expected to be creative or choose their own topics to paint, they were simply expected to obey the instructions of their clients. Also, in prior eras, traditionally, artists did most of their work within an art studio or initially sketched their themes outdoors, and then completed most of the remaining artwork indoors, and the typical choices were portraits, landscapes, still-life, religious, or mythological subjects. Some sources assert that the name 'impressionism' originated after Claude Monet's art painting called 'Soleil Levant' was exhibited at the art exhibition Anonymous Society of Painters in 1874, in Paris. The French term 'Soleil Levant' translates to the rising sun. Claude Monet's painting was slighted by the French art critic Louis Leroy, who coined the term 'impression' with his satirical review, published in the Parisian News Paper, Le Charivari. Louis Leroy had criticized the painting entitled 'Soleil Levant' stating that it was just a sketch or 'impression' of a scene, but certainly not to be considered a completed work of art.

Unlike their predecessors, impressionist artists chose not to paint historical or mythological subjects or undertake the creation of art paintings within a studio location. Instead, they ventured outdoors to paint realistic scenes of modern life, such as the seaside or countryside, towns, cities, or people spontaneously undergoing their daily activities. Impressionist artists lived in the moment, seeking to capture the essence of ever-evolving moments on canvass. Impressionist did not attempt to depict accuracy or the finer details in their paintings. Alternatively, from a subjective viewpoint, they attempted to capture an atmosphere, a certain mood, or a certain feeling derived from a particular scene within everyday life. Impressionism paintings are characterized by the inclusion of movement and open composition, particularly the depiction of spontaneous light while its quality flickers and shimmers incessantly from one moment to the next. The fleeting flights of a flock of birds across the clear blue sky during the day, or the haphazard journey of tumbling leaves from a tree, could be seen as a picture of poetic beauty that can be immortalized by the paint brush of a talented artist.

The term 'movement' in art paintings refers to the journey taken by the viewer's eye over a particular area of a painting. Many art painters often attempt to control the viewer's eye, by using complicated paint brush techniques to arrange and apply various shapes and colours on the canvass to convey the illusion of fluidity, or a general impression of movement within the painting. The term 'open composition' relates to paintings that display shapes which appear to run off the edge of the canvass or the confinements of the painting, and this is a subtle technique which artists sometimes use to encourage more active eye movement from the viewer, because it prompts a general sense from the audience that the subject painting runs beyond its picture boundaries, impressionist painters also used relatively small, thin, and loose brush strokes, which presided over accuracy and contours, they also applied mixed and unmixed colours without blending them smoothly, which was contrary to previously established traditions. Some of the painters who were thought to be the purest impressionist artist were such legends as Claude Monet, Alfred Sisley, Édouard Manet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Edgar Degas.

Cubism Art Paintings (1907 CE - 1914 CE)

Cubism is a revolutionary painting style which was invented by the renowned Spanish artist Pablo Picasso (born 1881 - died 1973), and French artist Georges Braque (born 1882 - died 1963). Cubism began between (1907 - 1908) but the movement ended abruptly in 1914, at the onset of world war I. Cubism is an abstract style of art which conveys concepts by depicting complicated convoluted cubes and geometric shapes, that appears inharmonious and fragmented at first glance. Some artists might say that it is a style of art that you either love or loathe. However, although the movement was relatively short lived, it may be surprising to some people, but many scholars are in agreement that Cubism is the most influential art movement in the history of art. Almost every avant-garde art movement of the 20th century, including Futurism, Surrealism, Constructivism, Dada, De Stijl, Neoplasticism, and Art-Deco, were each influenced by the legacy of Cubism.

In Autumn 1906, the French artist Henri Matisse, showed Picasso a wooden Kongo-Vili figurine, which was originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Picasso was said to be captivated by the art object. In May or June 1907, Picasso decided to visit a museum called the Ethnographic Museum, situated at Palais de Trocadero, in Paris, he wanted to view the traditional African artworks on display at the museum, and during his visit it is thought that Picasso had been profoundly moved by the artefacts at the exhibition, subsequently, Picasso became an avid collector of numerous African masks, sculptures, and various other ancient African artworks, which greatly inspired him to create a new style of art. In fact, this concept was not new, but Picasso became the first European artist to adopt, reinvent, and popularize what was essentially already an existing African art style, interestingly, a number of notable modern artists were said to be partly influenced by African art, including Van Gogh, Vlaminck, Gauguin, Derain, Picasso, Paul Klee, Modigliani, and Matisse. In 1907, Picasso began to create art works which eventually elevated him to the pinnacle of his career, and over time he was hailed by scholars as an artistic genius, moreover, Picasso was glorified as the pioneer of the highly revolutionary Cubism movement.

Title: Autumn: Date: 1875

Title: People Near Boat: Date: 1893

Title: The Horse Fair: Date: 1852–1855

Title: Poppies, Tulips, Hyacinth: Date: 1816

Title: (Moor) Young Black Man With A Bow: Date: 1697

Title: The Persian Sibyl: Date: 1651

Title: Portia Wounding Her Thigh: Date: 1664

Title: Vetheuil: Date: 1879

Title: (Moor actor) Ira Frederick Aldridge: Date: 1825-1835

Title: The Turning Lanet: Date: 1880-1885

Title: (Portrait) Madame Rimsky Korsakov: Date: 1864

Title: Woman With A Parasol: Date: 1886

Title: Portrait Of Louis XIV: Date: 1701

Title: The Dance Class: Date: 1871-1874

Title: Sunset: Date: 1880

Title: The Faithful: Date: 1866

Title: Portrait Of A Young Woman: Date: 1895

Title: House With Two Gardens: Date: 1908

Title: Brick Factory At Tortosa: Date: 1909

Title: Landscape With Two Figures: Date: 1908

Title: Self Portrait: Date: 1640

Title: Ship At Sea: Date: 1633

Title: Canadian Falls: Date: 1865

Title: Moses, The Baltimore News Vendor: Date: 1858

Title: Vase Of Flowers: Date: 1722

Title: Cafe Terrace At Night: Date: 1888

Title: Juan De Pareja: Date: 1650

Title: The Arches In Giverny: Date: 1900

Title: Dona Isabel De Porcel: Date 1805

Title: Along The River Beaumont Le Roger: Date: Unknown

Title: Beaumont Le Roger: Date: Unknown

Title: Serving Maid: Date: 1890

Title: Twilight Venice: Date: 1906

Title: Water Lilies: Date: 1906

Title: Joan Of Arc: Date: 1882

Title: Girl With Kokoshnik: Date: 1890s

Title: Still-Life Of Fruit With A Lemon And Glass: Date: Unknown

 Title: Boulevard De La Madeleine: Date: Unknown 

Title: Monarch Of The Glen: Date: 1851

Title: The Proposition: Date: 1631

Title: Basket Of Flowers: Date: 1711

Title: The Clockmaker: Date: 1914

Title: Now For A Good Smoke: Date: 1899

Title: The Peacock: Date: 1900

Title: Fern Tree Walk: Date: 1870s

Title: Flowering Garden: Date: 1888

Title: Lavender Fields: Date: 1888

Title: Yuletide Fortune Tellers: Date: 1888

Title: Starry Night Over The Rhone: Date: 1888

Title: The Old Tower In The Fields: Date: 1884

Title: The Barber Of Suez: Date: 1876

Title: Milkmaid: Date: 1657

Title: The Colours Advance Of The Scots Guard At The Alma: Date: 1899

Title: Still Life, Tea And Cakes: Date: 1896

Title: Saturday Afternoon Dress: Date: 1893

Title: Sunset After A Storm: Date: 1901

Title: A Cup Of Tea: Date: 1883

Title: Old Man With A Grey Beard: Date: 1858

Title: Judith With The Head Of Holofernes: Date: 1610s

Title: Dahlias Raisins Et Peaches: Date: 1868

Title: (Moor) King Casper: Date: 1640-1650

Title: Still Life With Flowers In A Glass Vase: Date: 1650

Title: Black Woman: Date: 1930-1939

Title: Peasant Girl With A Jug: Date: 1875

Title: Still Life With Pears: Date: 1869

Title: The Black Man: Date: 1869

Title: Two Macaws, A Cockatoo And A Jay, With Fruit: Date: 1710

Title: Mademoiselle De Lancey: Date: 1876

Title: Tivoli, Villa D’Este Pond: Date: 1908

Title: Henry Christophe, King of Haiti: Date: 1816

Title: Royal Prince Jacques-Victor-Henri Christophe: Date: 1816

Title: A Lunar Night On Capri: Date: 1841

Title: Portrait De Jeune Femme: Date: 1938

Title: Woman With The Lamp: Date: 1945-1946

Title: Orchids And Hummingbird: Date: Unknown

Title: South American River: Date: 1868

Title: Imaginary View Of Tivoli: Date: 1682

Title: Portrait: Date: 1930-1939

Title: Still Life With Apples: Date: 1877- 1888

Title: Sailboats And Pavilions: Date: Unknown

Title: Still Life Of Flowers: Date: 1708

Title: Dahlias: Date: 1874

Title: Roses: Date: 1884

Written by Star_gazer

Published 1 April 2022