24 visual art movements + Islamic/Persian art — period, characteristics, key artists.
Visual Art Movements
| Movement | Period | Characteristics | Key Artists | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Renaissance | 1300–1600 | Perspective, humanism, classical revival, sfumato | Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael | Italy |
| Baroque | 1600–1750 | Drama, movement, chiaroscuro, grandeur | Caravaggio, Rembrandt, Velázquez | Europe |
| Rococo | 1720–1780 | Lightness, ornate, pastel colors, playful | Watteau, Fragonard, Boucher | France |
| Neoclassicism | 1750–1850 | Order, reason, Greco-Roman ideals | David, Ingres, Canova | Europe |
| Romanticism | 1780–1850 | Emotion, nature, sublime, nationalism | Delacroix, Turner, Caspar David Friedrich | Europe |
| Realism | 1840–1880 | Everyday life, working class, accurate depiction | Courbet, Millet, Daumier | France |
| Impressionism | 1860–1900 | Light effects, loose brushwork, en plein air | Monet, Renoir, Degas, Pissarro | France |
| Post-Impressionism | 1880–1905 | Personal expression beyond impressionism | Cézanne, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Seurat | France |
| Symbolism | 1880–1910 | Dreams, mysticism, inner experience | Moreau, Redon, Klimt | Europe |
| Art Nouveau | 1890–1910 | Organic curves, nature, decorative unity | Mucha, Gaudi, Beardsley | International |
| Fauvism | 1905–1910 | Bold non-naturalistic colors, expressiveness | Matisse, Derain, Vlaminck | France |
| Expressionism | 1905–1930 | Distorted form, emotional angst | Munch, Kirchner, Nolde | Germany/Nordic |
| Cubism | 1907–1920 | Multiple viewpoints, geometric fragmentation | Picasso, Braque, Léger | France |
| Futurism | 1909–1920 | Speed, technology, dynamism of modern life | Boccioni, Balla, Marinetti | Italy |
| Dada | 1916–1924 | Anti-art, absurdism, chance, readymades | Duchamp, Arp, Hausmann | International |
| Surrealism | 1924–1940 | Dreams, subconscious, irrational imagery | Dalí, Magritte, Ernst, Kahlo | International |
| Abstract Expressionism | 1940–1960 | Gestural abstraction, emotion, large scale | Pollock, de Kooning, Rothko | USA |
| Pop Art | 1950–1970 | Mass culture, advertising, consumerism | Warhol, Lichtenstein, Hockney | USA/UK |
| Minimalism | 1960–1970 | Reduction to essentials, geometric, industrial | Judd, Flavin, Serra | USA |
| Conceptual Art | 1960–present | Idea over aesthetics, questioning art itself | Kosuth, LeWitt, Weiner | International |
| Photorealism | 1960–present | Painting indistinguishable from photography | Estes, Hanson, Close | USA |
| Street Art | 1980–present | Public walls, graffiti origins, social commentary | Banksy, Shepard Fairey, Invader | International |
| Digital Art | 1990–present | Computer-generated, CGI, NFT, generative | Beeple, Casey Reas, Tyler Hobbs | International |
| Neo-Expressionism | 1970–present | Return to figurative, raw emotional paint | Basquiat, Schnabel, Kiefer | International |
Islamic / Persian Art
| Style | Period | Characteristics | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| Persian Miniature | 13th–17th c. | Intricate small-scale paintings, manuscript illustration | Iran, Central Asia |
| Arabesque | 7th c.–present | Geometric interlaced patterns, floral motifs | Islamic world |
| Calligraphy (Nastaliq) | 15th c.–present | Persian script art, elegant flowing script | Iran, Pakistan, India |
| Tilework (Kashi) | 9th c.–present | Geometric ceramic tile mosaics, blue-dominated | Iran, Central Asia |
| Carpet Weaving | 2500 BCE–present | Intricate patterns, medallion compositions | Iran, Turkey, Caucasus |
