From prehistoric times to the present
Painting has accompanied man from prehistoric times to the present day. Over the centuries, not only the subject matter has changed, but also the style and technique of the visual art works performed. Each era was characterized by a dominant style of painting. Interestingly, contemporary artists are inspired by the style of old masters, although their works are characterized by a much greater freedom of expression than their predecessors. Old painting styles are also an inspiration for modern wall decorations such as: photo wallpapers, wall stickers. Discover the styles in painting that still have a huge impact on the decor of today’s interiors.
Painting in different eras
Prehistoric painting
In prehistoric times, the art of painting was one of the basic means of expression. It is difficult to determine to what extent the scenes immortalized in the caves of El Castillo, Altamira, Nerja, Lascaux, or Pech Merle served a decorative function, but the fact is that they allow us to better understand the lives of our ancestors. Prehistoric painting is characterized by simplicity, and the main theme is hunting scenes. Interestingly, in the wall paintings, animals were reproduced very precisely, while human figures were only the background of individual scenes.
Antiquity
Ancient painting not only reflected the technical skills of artists, but also fulfilled cultural, social, religious and narrative functions, conveying visions of the world, values and mythology of a given society. It is worth emphasizing, however, that the subject of ancient painting, apart from mythological figures, were also scenes from everyday life and landscapes. It is characteristic that the works of the Greeks, Egyptians and Romans can be found primarily on the walls of palaces, temples, sarcophagi and ceramic vases. The same applies to the painting of ancient Mesopotamia and China.
Middle Ages
(12th-16th century) Medieval painting is almost exclusively focused on religious themes, which is why most works of this period can be found in churches. Medieval paintings were richly decorated, which was intended to emphasize the divinity of the figures depicted. They were also characterized by a wealth of details, bright colors, which influenced the mysticism of paintings and frescoes. Worshipping God is also manifested through the presentation of human figures as a background, often much smaller compared to the figures of Jesus or Mary. We know little about medieval painters, because due to their humility towards God they remained anonymous. There was a belief that signing one’s works was a manifestation of pride towards the Creator, which is why, apart from artists such as Hieronymus Bosch, Robert Campin, Hans Memling, John of Fiesole, we do not know the identities of most medieval painters.
Renaissance
(14th-16th century) The Renaissance period is a return to ancient patterns and Greco-Roman culture and a rejection of the cult of divinity, which influenced the subject matter of works of this period. Medieval religious painting was replaced by portraits. Interestingly, the most famous works of the Renaissance refer to events described in the Bible, such as Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper, or Piero della Francesca’s The Baptism of Christ, but a change in the perception of the human body can be clearly seen. Artists were simply fascinated by its beauty and proportions. The Renaissance also meant a departure from the anonymity of painters, and what’s more, self-portraits were very popular, which completely contradicted medieval humility. Renaissance paintings still delight with their harmony and ideal proportions, which is confirmed by the unsolved mystery of Mona Lisa’s mysterious smile.
Baroque
(17th-18th century) The name of the style comes from the Italian word barocco, meaning an irregularly shaped pearl. Baroque painting was characterized by drama, expression and rich form. The lavish works were distinguished by extraordinary dynamics and intensity of colors. In the paintings of Baroque masters such as: Caravaggio, Diego Velazquez, Rembrandt van Rijn, Peter Paul Rubens, Jan Vermeer van Delft, you can see the play of light and shadow, which additionally influenced the emotions of the recipients. The theme of Baroque paintings are genre and battle scenes, as well as eroticism and still life. The most famous works of this period include: The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Tulp, Girl with a Pearl Earring, The Raising of Lazarus.
Rococo
(18th century) Rococo was characterized by lightness, delicacy and decorative details. Rococo painting often depicted scenes from court life, as well as female portraits and nudes. The paintings also featured figures from Greek mythology such as: Aphrodite, Eros and Dionysus, the deities of love, fertility, passion, which indicated an interest in the pleasant side of human life. Due to its subject matter, Rococo is considered to be devoid of deeper values, which may seem right, but it is worth remembering the artists who emphasized and stigmatized human weaknesses. The most famous Rococo painters include: Joshua Reynolds, William Hogarth, Francois Boucher.
Romanticism
(1800-1850) During the Romantic period, painters turned to emotions, nature and individual experience. Renaissance painting is characterized by drama, intensity of colors and exceptional expression. Painters of this period were fascinated by nature, which can be seen in many extraordinary landscapes characterized by expressive, full of contrast colors. Artists also reached for genre scenes, historical events, to which they gave a deeper meaning through the intensity of emotions and subjective interpretation of the creators. The most valued painters of Romanticism were: William Turner, Aleksander Orłowski, Caspar David Friedrich, Piotr Michałowski.
Realism
(second half of the 19th century) Realism, as the name suggests, was intended to depict reality as accurately as possible. Artists of this period abandoned individualism, rich form and intense colors. Realism depicted scenes from the lives of ordinary people without decorations or excessive lighting. In the works of painters, one can see scenes depicting the worries of everyday life, landscapes, and portraits. The most famous works include Józef Chełmoński’s Babie lato, Wojciech Kossak’s Orlęta lwowskie, Jan Matejko’s Stańczyk, Jean-Francois Millet’s Anioła – Angelus.
Impressionism
(1870s) Impressionism was distinguished by its unusual painting technique and exceptional representation of reality. Impressionists tried to transfer the transience of moments onto canvas. The famous Water Lilies by the French precursor of Impressionism, Claude Monet, still delight viewers and are an inspiration for many artists. The works of the Impressionists were distinguished by quick brushstrokes, which allowed for the effect of blurring the object. Impressionism is a movement that revolutionized art in the 19th century. The most valued creators of this movement include Claude Monet, Edouard Manet, Edgar Degas, Auguste Renoir and Olga Boznańska.
Expressionism
(early 20th century) Expressionism focused on emotions. It was not only meant to represent them, but also to influence the feelings of the viewer. It is difficult to ignore works such as The Scream by Edvard Munch or The Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh. Expressionists tried to represent reality according to their own subjective feelings, which often influenced the unrealistic shapes and colors of the objects depicted. Paul Gauguin and James Ensor are also considered artists of this period.
Cubism
(early 20th century) Cubism is a style that broke down form into abstract geometry and shapes. Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque were the pioneers of this movement, and their works are impressive in form. Cubism aimed to represent reality using geometric figures, which is why the main subject of the paintings was still life. Artists of this period also tried to represent people using simple forms, which influenced surprising and emotional effects.
Surrealism
(1920s-1930s) Unreal scenes, full of fantasy – this is how surrealism can be briefly described. One could risk saying that artists tried to transfer their own dreams, fantasies and even fears onto canvas. Salvador Dalí, René Magritte, Max Ernst created works that stimulated the imagination and allowed for free interpretation and still arouse extreme emotions. The works of surrealists were greatly influenced by Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalysis.
Abstractionism
(1930s-1950s) Abstractionism rejected the representation of specific objects, details, focusing on their interpretation. Abstractionists such as Wassily Kandinsky and Jackson Pollock broke with the representation of reality in favor of expressing emotions and ideas through forms, lines and colors. Abstractionism allows for the free representation of an object as the artist sees it through geometric forms. A style that was born in Russia and is very popular among contemporary artists, and the compositions of its precursors still arouse emotions.
Painting styles from different eras can be seen in the works of contemporary artists. The influence of old masters can be seen in modern wall decorations. Valare® is a unique brand that combines elements of classic works with modern design and an innovative view of art.
Dorota Palimąka
Bibliography: A Brief History of Art. Charles Bayet.