History of Arts

The history of arts is an attempt to survey art through human history, classifying cultures and periods by their distinguishing features.

The history of art is often told as an chronology of masterpieces created in each civilization in the world.

The oldest surviving art forms include small sculptures and paintings on rocks and in caves. Ancient art began when ancient civilizations developed a form of written language. The great traditions in art have a foundation in the art of one of the six great ancient civilizations: ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece, Rome, India, or China. Each of these centers of early civilization developed a unique and characteristic style in their art.

Ancient Roman art depicted gods as idealized humans. In Byzantine and Gothic art of the Middle Ages, the dominance of the church insisted on the expression of biblical truths. Byzantine monumental Church mosaics are one of the great achievements of medieval art.

The medieval art of the Western world covers a vast scope of time and place, over 1000 years of art history. Medieval art was produced in many media, and the works that remain in large numbers include sculpture, illuminated manuscripts, stained glass, metalwork and mosaics.

Medieval art in Europe grew out of the artistic heritage of the Roman Empire and the iconographic traditions of the early Christian church.

At the start of the medieval period most significant works of art were very rare and costly objects associated with secular elites, monasteries or major churches.

The use of valuable materials is a constant in medieval art; until the of the period. Gold was used for objects for churches and palaces, personal jewellery and the fittings of clothes.

The period of the Middle Ages neither begins nor ends neatly at any particular date, nor at the same time in all regions, and the same is true for the major phases of art within the period.

Byzantine art is the art of the Greek-speaking Byzantine Empire. Byzantine art was extremely conservative, for religious and cultural reasons, but retained a continuous tradition of Greek realism.

The Byzantine Empire produced much of the finest art of the Middle Ages in terms of quality of material and workmanship. Byzantine silk, textiles, often woven or embroidered with designs of both animal and human figures were produced in workshops in Constantinople. Some other decorative arts were less developed.

The Medieval era ended with Renaissance followed by the Baroque and Rococo. The 18^th and 19^th centuries included Neoclassicism, Romantic art, Academic art, and Realism in art. Art historians disagree when Modern art began. It was either in the mid-eighteenth century with the artist Francisco Goya, the mid-nineteenth century with the industrial revolution or the late nineteenth century with the advent of Impressionism. The art movements of the late nineteenth through the early twenty first centuries are too numerous to detail. They can be broadly divided into two categories: Modernism and Contemporary art or Postmodern art.

ІV Answer the questions:

1. What is the history of art?

2. What are the oldest surviving forms of art?

3. When and where did the biblical truths dominate in art?

4. In what media was medieval art produced in?

5. Was the use of valuable materials constant in medieval art?

6. What are characteristic features of Byzantine art?

7. What was Constantinople famous for?

8. What was medieval era followed by?

9. What forms of art are typical for the 18^th – 19^th centuries?

V Complete the sentences with the words from the text:

1. The history of art is often told as...... created in each civilization in the world.

2. The oldest surviving art forms include..........

3. Ancient Roman art depicted..........

4. The use of valuable materials is..........

5. Byzantine art is the art of the … … ….

VI Find the English equivalents to the words:

малюнки на скалах; заставний рукопис; середньовічне мистецтво; оздоблення одягу; зберігати традиції; майстерність; поява (виникнення); кольорове скло; металообробка.

VII Make up the sentences with the words and phrases:

monumental Church mosaics; a unique and characteristic style; rare and costly objects; a particular date; conservative; silk; textiles; decorative art; impressionism; Modern and Contemporary art.

VIII Give definitions to the words:

sculpture; painting; mosaics; jewellery; advent.

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