Medieval Art

Medieval Art covers a about 1000 years of art in Europe and Africa. Medieval Art includes major art movements and periods like:

• National and Regional Art
• Genres
• Revivals
• Artists Crafts
• Artists

Art historians tried to classify Medieval Art into major periods and styles but often they had some difficulties. A generally accepted scheme included:

• Christian Art
• Migration Period Art
• Byzantine Art
• Insular Art
• Pre-Romaneseque Art
• Romaneseque Art
• Gothic Art

as well as many other different periods within these styles. Medieval Art has been produced in any mediaand most of the work remained in large numbers includes

• Sculpture 
• Illuminated Manuscripts
• Stained Glass
• Metalwork
• Mosaics

In the early part of the period some pieces of work were called "minor arts" or "decorative arts", such as metal work, ivory carving, enamel and embroidery, they all used precious metals and they were all probably worth more than some paintings or monumental sculptures.  

At the start of the Medieval Art periods most significant works were very rare and very expensive associated with secular elites monasteries or churches, they were normally produces by monks. 

Some examples of Medieval Art work. 

Egyptian Art

Egyptian Art is produced by the civilization of Egypt in the lower Nile Valley the stuff they produced is: 

• Painting 
• Sculpture 
• Architecture 
• Other Arts

Egyptian Art has reached a  high level in Painting and Sculpture they were both very highly stylized and symbolic. A lot of the surviving art comes from the Tombs and Monuments which survived all these years. Most of the elements of Egyptian Art remained very stable over the 3000 years period with very little outside influence. The quality of observation and execution in Egyptian Art has started at a very high level and it stayed at that throughout the period of time. 

African Art

African Art is a term which is typically used for the Art of Sub-Saharan Africa, as the art of North Africa areas along Mediterranean coast. Most of the African Sculptures were historically in wood and other organic materials which would not survive until now, at most a few centuries ago. 

The Masks are a very important element in the African Art as they were often highly stylized. Another element in the African Art was the Cave Paintings which happened many years ago. They were a way of how people communicated back then as they were hidden in caves. 

Surrealism

Surrealism was a Cultural Movement which started in 1920s and was best known for the Visual Artworks and Writings. The aim of this was to: "resolve the previously contradictory conditions of dream and reality" Artists used to paint unnerving illogical scenes with photographic precision which created strange creatures from normal objects.

Surrealist artists used an element of surprise, unexpected state of begin close together side by side and non sequitur which means "a statement having little or no relevance to what preceded it" Leader Andre Breton was explicit in his assertion that Surrealism was above all of the revolutionary movements.  

Surrealism was developed out of an European Art Movement called Dada, the most important place of the movement was based in Paris, France. From 1920s onward the Art Movement spread around the world and eventually affected:

• Visual Art
• Literature
• Film
• Musing

Some examples of Surrealism Work

Pop Art

Pop Art is an Art Movement that began in mid 1950s in Great Britain and in late 1950s in United States. Pop Art is a style that presents traditions of fine art with popular culture images. In Pop Art you can find some images which got taken out of their known context and combined with a completely unrelated material. 

Pop Art employs aspects of mass culture such as:

• Advertising 
• Comic Books
• Mundane Cultural Objects

A lot of Pop Art is considered in congruent as the stuff used often makes it difficult to readily comprehend. Pop Art and Minimalism are considered the Art Movements that precede Postmodern Art or they are an Earlier example of Post Modern Art. 

Pop Art often takes an image that is already in used by e.g. company on their Advertisement, such as label or logos. 

An example of Pop Art by Andy Warhol (Campbell's Soup Cans) 

Some examples of Pop Art which I really like because of how the images have a cartoon looking style but they look realistic at the same time. 

Impressionism

Impressionism is a Art Movement which began in the 19th century. Impressionism started off by a group of Paris based artists which achieved prominence with their independent exhibitions during 1870s and 1880s. The name Impressionism comes from title of a piece of work by Claude Monet.    

Impressionist painting characteristics are:

• Thin Brush Strokes

• Open Composition

• Emphasis on Accurate Depiction of Light

• Ordinary Subject Matter

• Inclusion of Movement

• Unusual Visual Angles

Impressionism emerged in France at the same time as many painters. Impressionists had to develop a new specific Technique for the Style. Recreating the sensation in the eye which views the object / subject. Impressionism is a precursor of other painting styles like:

• Neo-Impressionism
• Post-Impressionism
• Fauvism
• Cubism

Claude Monet The Cliffs at Etretat 

Futurism

Futurism was a artistic and social movement that began in Italy in early 20th Century. The themes that the movement used were:

• Future
• Speed
• Technology
• Voilence
• Industry

The Futurism movement was an Italian phenomenon even tho there were simmilar movements in counties like Russia and England.

The Futurists practided in almost every part of art including:

• Painting
• Sculpture
• Ceramics
• Graphic Desgin
• Industrial Design
• Interior Design
• Urban Design
• Theatre
• Film
• Fashion
• Textiles
• Literature
• Music
• Architecture
• Gastronomy

Futurism was found by an Italian writer Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, Filippo started the art movement off in his poem "Futurist Manifesto" which he published on 5th February 1909. Futurism was a very political ar movement as it managed to create changed in Italy but also Europe.

The Futurism Art work looks very abstract to me as of the shapes and colours.

Every single of the pieces of work above uses many different colours and many different shapes the shapes are mostly triangles but they also use other shapes.

Cubism

Cubism was an Art Movement which happened in early 20th century.  Cubism was made by George baraque and Pablo Picasso, Cubism revolutionized Europe, it changed many different things like:

• Painting
• Sculpture
• Music
• Literature
• Architecture

Cubism is one of the most infulential art movements of the 20th Century. Cubism started off in 1907 and 1911, one of Pablo Picasso's painting "Demoiselles d'Avignon" is considered to be a huge step towoards the founding of the Cubist Movement.

The main thing in Cubism was that they Work created during the movement didint copy nature. The work made was normally two dimensional on a canvas, after they created the art work they tried to break the work up down to geometric shapes which allowed them to analyse the work from their perspective.

The Demoiselles d'Avignon which could possibly be the painting which started of Cubism.

The two photos below show some work in the Cubism movement and they also show how the images were broke down to geometric shapes.

Constructivism

Constructivism was a Artistic and Architectual philosophy that came from Russia in the 1919. The Constuctivism was a rejection the the Autonomous Art, Constructivism had an effect on Modern Art movements in the 20th century. Constructivism infulenced other Art Movements like Bauhaus and De Stijl, it also had an impact on architecture, graphic desgin, industrial design, theatre, film, dance, fashion and some music.

The name Construction Art was first used by Kazimir Malevich to desicribe Alexander's Rodchenko's work in 1917. Constructivism was a post World War I Art Movement.

The Poster below is probably one of the most known poster from the Constructivism time.

The poster below show what the Constructivism style looks like. I really like the style because it looks very simple but it puts the message through. I like the colours which are used in the style because they are all solid which makes the style look pretty simple.

Bauhaus

Bauhaus was found in a Crafts and Fine Arts School in Germany, the school operated between the 1919 to 1933. The Bauhaus school was found by an Architect Walter Gropius in Weimar. The name Bauhaus means "house of construction" in spite of the name and the face that it was found by an Architect the school itself didint have an Architecture depratament during its first years of existance.

The style Bauhaus became on of the most influential styles in Modernist Architecture and Modern Design. Bauhaus has also had a profound influence in art, architecture, graphic design, interior design, industrial design and typography.

The Bauhaus school existed in three different cities in Germany:

• Weimar (1919-1925)
• Dessau (1925-1932)
• Berlin (1932-1933)

The school also had Three different Architects-Directors

• Walter Gropius (1919-1928)
• Hannes Meyer (1928-1930)
• Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1930-1933)

The Bauhaus school got closed in 1933 by its own leadership which got pressured by the Regime of the Nazis.

These two posters are both in Bauhaus style which  I really like as it looks really simple, the lines are straight and the colours are normally solid. I think that Bauhaus is one of the best styles ever made as it just brings so much new stuff to the Design industry.

These photos below show us the Bauhaus school in Dessau, Germany.



Art Nouveau

Art Nouveau is a style which takes inspiration from natural world. Art Nouveau influences art and architecture especially in applied arts, graphic design and illustration. The most famous artists which use Art Nouveau are Gustav klimt, Henri Toulouse-Lautrec and Aubrey Beardsley. There is only few main themes in Art Nouveau that you need to keep in mind.

Art Nouveau was very popular all over Europe, the style's name comes from an Art Gallery in Paris, France and a magazine in Munich, Germany. Artists which used Art Nouveau tried to harmonize their work with Nature.

This is a Posted made in the Art Nouveau style. I like how the colours go from Red at bottom of it to Brown/Orange at top. I alos like how the lines arent straight.

These two buildings have both had Art Nouveau style applied ot them as you can clearly see they dont have straight lines and they also have many different colours.

Art Deco

Art Deco is an influential visual art design style. Art Deco first appeared during the 1920s in France and flourished internationally during the 30s and the 40s. Art Deco is an Electric style which combines two different materials/imagery to create a very popular style, the craft motifs and the machine age are the two things that create Art Deco.

The style is normally characterized by Rich Colours and Bold Geometric Shapes. One of the major attributes of Art Deco is an embrace of technology. During the days when Art Deco was very popular it represented luxury, glamour, exuberance and faith in social and technological progress. The first use of the term Art Deco has been attributed to an Architect Le Corbusier who penned a series of articles in his journal. 

"Historian Bevis Hillier defined Art Deco as an assertively modern style that ran to symmetry rather than asymmetry"

The Chrysler Building based in New York City in the Art Deco style.

Terracotta Sunburst Design above the doors of the Eastern Columbia Building in Los Angeles

Art Deco style poster, rich colours and bold lines

The Festival of Britain

The Festival of Britain was a national exhibition which was held in the United Kingdom in around 1951. It was organized by the government to let people recover after the War. This even also was meant to promote the British Contribution to science, technology, design, architecture and art. 

The Festival was held in London, United Kingdom. It was based on the south bank of the river Thames. The event wasant only held in London but few different cities in the United Kingdom: 

• Cardiff 
• Stratford-upon-Avon
• Bath
• Perth
• Bournemouth
• York
• Aldeburgh
• Inverness
• Cheltenham
• Oxford

The Government decided to not to continue with the idea of International Exhibition because of its costs, so they decided to hold a series of displays about science, technology, design, architecture and art under the name of Festival of Britain. 

The Festival had 2 different logo designs, I think their both great as the colour balance is very good and also the design looks really nice. The middle part of the Logo is same on both of the designs but the outside part looks different I like them both but I prefer the one on the right as it has better design in my opinion. 

These 2 photos show us the place where the Festival was placed. 

Tutankhamun’s Tomb

The Tutankhamun's Tomb was an Egyptian Pharaoh of the 18th dynasty. He ruled during the period of Egyptian history which is known as New Kingdom. He was referred to as King Tut, his original name was Tutankhaten which means "Living Image of Aten" (Aten is the disk of the sun in ancient Egyptian mythology) while Tutankhamun means "Living Image of Amun" (Amun was a local deitty of Thebes)

Tutankhamun was normally written Amen-tut-ankh because of the scribal custom that place divine name at the beginning of a phrase to show appropriate reverence. The Discovery of Tutankhamun's Tomb in 1922 by Howard Carter and George herbert recived worldwide press coverage. It renewed public interest in ancient Egypt, for which Tutankhamun's mask remain the popular symbol. Tutankhamun was the son of Akhenaten which got confirmed in February 2010 with a DNA Test. 

Russian Revolution

The Russian Revolution is a term which got used for a series of revolutions in Russia in 1917, which dismantled the Tsarist autocracy and led to the creation of the Russian SFSR.

The February Revolution which took place in March 1917 was focused around Petrograd (now St. Petersburg). 

A period of Dual Power during the Provision Government held state power while the national network of Soviets got led by socialists, during this chaotic period of time there were many protests and strikes to stop the War with Germany. 

The Provisional Government choose to fight the German's even tho there were many strikes to stop. The Blosheviks turned workers militias under their control into the Red Guards which later turned into the Red Army. 

World War II

The World War II is known as the Second World War. The War began in 1939 and lasted unitl 1945.

The World War II involved the majority of the world's nations which formed two oposing alliances the Allies and the Axis

The Allies:

• United Kingdom
• France
• Poland
• United States 

The Axis:

• Germany
• Italy
• Japan

It was one of the largest wars in history, more than 100 million people serving in military units from over 30 countries. It was likely the deadliest conflict in human history as it resulted in 50 million to 75 million dead people.

World War I

World War I began in July 1914 and lasted until November 1918 it was centered in Europe. The World War was the name which was the most commonly used all over the world but there was few other names like:

• World War
• Great War
• First World War (After World War II) 
• World War I 

The countries which were involved in the War were assembled in two opposing alliances. 

The Allies

• United Kingdom
• France 
• Russia
• United States
• Japan

Central Powers

• Germany
• Austria
• Hungary
• Bulgaria

The War lasted 4 years, more than 70 million military personnel was mobilized in one of the largest wars in history. More than 9 million people were killed during the War time, the amount of people who died was mostly because of the Technological Advancements. 
One of the main causes of the World War was the Resurgence of Imperialism which means: 

"An unequal human and territorial relationship, usually in the form of an empire, based on ideas of superiority and practices of dominance, and involving the extension of authority and control of one state or people over another"