Explore Art Through the Ages
Journey through art history from the Renaissance to the 19th century and beyond. Discover how artistic styles, techniques, and subjects evolved across different periods and cultures.
Ancient Egyptian Art
3000 BCE - 30 BCE
Three millennia of artistic tradition marked by monumental architecture, hieroglyphics, and funerary art celebrating the eternal afterlife.
Key Movements:
Notable Artists:
Anonymous Egyptian craftsmen
Ancient Greek & Roman
800 BCE - 476 CE
Classical antiquity that established Western artistic ideals through sculpture, pottery, and architectural innovation.
Key Movements:
Notable Artists:
Phidias • Praxiteles • Myron
Medieval Art
500-1400
A thousand years of religious art spanning illuminated manuscripts, Gothic cathedrals, and Byzantine mosaics.
Key Movements:
Notable Artists:
Giotto • Cimabue • Duccio
Renaissance
1400-1600
Cultural rebirth that transformed European art through classical learning, linear perspective, and unprecedented naturalism.
Key Movements:
Notable Artists:
Leonardo da Vinci • Michelangelo • Raphael • Titian • ...
Baroque Period
1600-1750
Drama, movement, and emotional intensity with bold contrasts of light and shadow, serving both religious devotion and royal power.
Key Movements:
Notable Artists:
Caravaggio • Rembrandt • Vermeer • Rubens • ...
18th Century Art
1700-1799
The Age of Enlightenment, featuring Rococo elegance, Neoclassical revival, and the foundations of Romanticism.
Key Movements:
Notable Artists:
Watteau • Fragonard • David • Goya • ...
19th Century Art
1800-1899
Revolutionary transformations from Romanticism through Realism to Impressionism and Post-Impressionism.
Key Movements:
Notable Artists:
Monet • Van Gogh • Cézanne • Renoir • ...
Edo Period (Japan)
1603-1868
Japan's cultural flourishing with ukiyo-e woodblock prints capturing the "floating world" of urban entertainment.
Key Movements:
Notable Artists:
Hokusai • Hiroshige • Utamaro • Sharaku
Art History Timeline
Ancient Egyptian Art
Three millennia of artistic tradition marked by monumental architecture, hieroglyphics, and funerary art celebrating the eternal afterlife.
Ancient Greek & Roman
Classical antiquity that established Western artistic ideals through sculpture, pottery, and architectural innovation.
Medieval Art
A thousand years of religious art spanning illuminated manuscripts, Gothic cathedrals, and Byzantine mosaics.
Renaissance
Cultural rebirth that transformed European art through classical learning, linear perspective, and unprecedented naturalism.
Baroque Period
Drama, movement, and emotional intensity with bold contrasts of light and shadow, serving both religious devotion and royal power.
Edo Period (Japan)
Japan's cultural flourishing with ukiyo-e woodblock prints capturing the "floating world" of urban entertainment.
18th Century Art
The Age of Enlightenment, featuring Rococo elegance, Neoclassical revival, and the foundations of Romanticism.
19th Century Art
Revolutionary transformations from Romanticism through Realism to Impressionism and Post-Impressionism.
About Art Periods
Art periods represent distinct phases in the evolution of artistic expression, each shaped by historical events, cultural movements, and technological innovations. Understanding these periods provides context for appreciating how artists responded to their times and influenced future generations.
From the humanist ideals of the Renaissance to the light-filled canvases of Impressionism, each period brought revolutionary changes to artistic practice. Browse our collection organized by period to trace these transformations and discover masterpieces that defined their eras.
Our virtual museum provides unprecedented access to artworks spanning centuries, allowing you to explore how artistic techniques, subjects, and philosophies evolved from medieval times through the modern era.