Art of Emerging

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Arts of Emerging Europe

Being an integral part in Europe, art has been used to communicate ideologies and
belief systems within their respective contexts. The Greek and Roman Civilizations were
also known as the Classical World for both cultures aiming to embody the epitome of all
aspects of life. With both influence and impact of the aforementioned classical worlds
being far-reaching, both civilizations tend to promote an objective and widely accepted
standard for beauty.

Ancient Greece

Valuing poetry, drama and philosophy, the Greeks were known to excel in various
fields and aspects of society. One notable Greek contribution is the utilization of their
political will as the framework for modern democracy.

They were known to place prime importance in the use of reason. For this civilization,
man was the center of society. The Greeks were notably passionate about the occurrence
of natural phenomena and believed that nature should be in perfect order. These
principles, beliefs and ideologies are the core of Greek art and architecture.

The Development of Greek art can be divided into four periods: Geometric, Archaic.
Classical and Hellenistic. The Geometric Period was a time where the Greek was a time
where Greece was recovering from what seemed to be their Dark Ages. A period where
geometric shapes and patterns were the main subject in artworks. The Archaic Period, on
the other hand, placed importance on human figures. The peak of Greek sculpture and
architecture was during the Classical Period. The time of Alexander the Great was called
the Hellenistic Period. During this time, art was primarily focused on showcasing emotions
and depicting reality.

Theater and Drama can be traced back to Greek civilization. The followers of Dionysus,
the god of fertility, started Greek theater. Devotees would dance and give offerings to their
god. Eventually, the Greeks organized theatrical contests to be performed in front of a large
crowd of Greek citizens.

Ancient Rome

Considered to be one of Western Europe's mightiest empires, the Roman Republic


was established around 500 BCE. It can be said that the Roman civilization came of the age
during the Hellenistic Period. The Romans were fond of Greek culture and their
achievement in art.
The fusion of Greek and Roman cultures can be observed in most Roman artworks.
They invoked the principles of realism in most of their artworks, highlighting features
human beings.

Aside from this, the Romans were known as master builders, which earned their
reputation for their grand monuments and architectural infrastructure. One of their well-
known architectural achievement would have to be the Colosseum.

Ancient Greece had a huge impact on the formation of Roman culture. Greek culture is
evident in Roman theater and drama. Since the Roman audience were not as enthusjastic
as their Greek counterparts, most plays had to be included in Roman Games.

Middle Ages

It is the period between the decline of the Roman Empire and the Renaissance. This
period was characterized by ignorance and darkness. Church was the central figure and
authority of the period and because of that, most important products of the Middle ages
have to be copied from the Christian scriptures. And those scriptures are hand written
because printing press came after the period. Great Cathedrals were also built and they are
categorized into two periods: Romanesquev (1050-1200), inspired by the old Roman
Empire; Gothic (1200-1500), which had more northern flavor from the Goths – vulgar and
barbaric.

Renaissance Art

During this period. Artists valued the “individual” asa subject of arts. The focus ofsome
artworks during this period were shifted to empower he “individual: Most artworks
emphasized naturalism since the proportionality of human body were emphasized. Artists
also gave important to nonreligious themes or subjects, however most artworks remained
religious in its focus and theme. There was also a revival of Roman theatrical plays.

Mannerism

A period in art history which was a product of Renaissance Period. During renaissance,
artist would observe nature and try their best to imitate it and as renaissance ended, artists
copy directly the subjects of existing art works. Most artworks during this period displayed
distorted figures, two dimensional spaces, discordant hues and colors, and lack of defined
focal point.

Baroque And the Rococo

*The term”barogue”is derived from tlhe Portuguese tem barocco which is translated
as “imregularly shaped pearl”,
*Rome is the birthplace of Baroque Period, which according to some historians was a
response of Protestantism. 3 Spanned from 1600-1750, a period following the
Renaissance.

*Expansion was the central theme of this period

*Most artist used colorful paletes and ormamentation in their works, motion and space
were also taken consideration by artists like the use of dramatic lighting and the concept of
time.

*Music was also flourishes during this period. People believed that music could serve as
powerful tool to communicate messages that can evoke certain feelings among its
listeners. Lot can be distinguish loud from soft and solo from ensemble.

Realism

Realism as a style of work focuses on the accuracy of details that depicts and
somehow mirrors reality. There is little room for imagination in this movement since
emphasis is placed in observable traits that can concretize through artwork. As a modern
art movement, Realism veered away from traditional forms of art. It has revolutionized
themes and techniques in paintings. Furthermore, this movement also expanded and
widened existing notions of what can be considered as art.

Impressionism

The impressionism movement started in France, which led to a break from the
tradition in European painting. Impressionism is a style painting that emerged in the mid to
late 1800s. Impressionist artists incorporated scientific principles to achieve a more
distinct representation of color. The said impression is communicated by the artist through
his work and can be seen through the brushstrokes, distinction of colors and the lights
used by the artist..

Post-Impressionism

Upon realizing the limitations and flaws of impressionism, artists in France eventually
developed an individual style that emphasizes the use of broken colors and short brush
stroke. Some famous artists of this art movement include Paul Cezanne, Georges Seurat,
Paul Gauguin, & Vincent van Gogh, whose works became the framework of techniques and
trends used in the 20th century.

Neo-Impressionism

Most painters of this movement rely on systematic & scientific techniques that have
predetermined visual effects on the art work and the audience themselves. Georges Seurat
developed a technique called pointillism that utilizes dots & dashes of pure color, which
are believed to blend with the viewer’s perspective. Other neo-impressionists were Henri-
Edmond Cross. Maximilien Luce, & Camille Pissarro

Art Nouveau

This ornamental style of art, developed between 1890 & 1910 in Europe and the United
States, uses long & organic lines which are commonly found in architecture, jewelry, &
glass design. Its defining characteristic, the asymmetrical line, is done in a graceful and
elegant manner usually in the form of insect wings or flower stalks.

Fauvism

This art movement in France was called revolutionary because of their use of explosive
and vibrant colors straight into the canvas itself. The fauves, painted directly from nature
like the impressionists but differs with how they portray their subjects with strong &
expressive reaction. Most Fauvists rejects the conservative & traditional rendering of three-
dimensional space.

Cubism

Introduced by French artists Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque between 1907 and
1914, cubism would later on have a huge influence on artists of the twentieth century.
Cubists focused on a flat surface rejecting dominant techniques like the use of
perspective, foreshortening and modelling. Cubists emphasized that they are not in a way
obliged to copy texture, form, color and space.

Futurism

An early twentieth century art movement that started in Italy which highlighted the
speed, energy, dynamism and power of machines. In addition, common themes for works
in this movement are restlessness and the fast-pace of the modern life. Italian poet and
editor. Filippon Tomasso Marinetti coined the term “futurism” to reflect his purpose of
disregarding the traditional methods of the past.

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