Western Art Movements: Italian Renaissance to Impressionism & Cubism
Encyclopedia/4. Arts & Literature/2. Visual Arts, Architecture & Design/01. Fine Art, Painting & Western Movements • Curated by Admin Timeline.sg
This timeline traces the evolution of Western art from the early Renaissance innovations of Giotto through the High Renaissance of Leonardo and Michelangelo, the Baroque drama of Caravaggio and Rembrandt, the Impressionist revolution of Monet, and into the Cubist breakthroughs of Picasso. Spanning 1300 to 1950, it highlights key works and movements that defined European visual art.
Chronological Storyline (46 Milestones)
1305 CE
Giotto Completes Arena Chapel Frescoes
Giotto di Bondone paints the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua, introducing naturalism and emotional depth that break from Byzantine tradition. #art #renaissance
Giotto Completes Arena Chapel Frescoes By Zairon - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=74705372
1425 CE
Masaccio Paints the Brancacci Chapel
Masaccio creates frescoes in the Brancacci Chapel, Florence, using linear perspective and chiaroscuro to achieve unprecedented realism. #art #renaissance
Masaccio Paints the Brancacci Chapel By Masaccio - Unknown source, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=178750
1432 CE
Van Eyck Completes the Ghent Altarpiece
Jan van Eyck finishes the Ghent Altarpiece, a masterpiece of Northern Renaissance oil painting with intricate detail and symbolism. #art #renaissance
Van Eyck Completes the Ghent Altarpiece By Jan van Eyck / Presumably Hubert van Eyck - Google Arts & Culture — 7QERA2CqwU1bcQ, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=192762536
1436 CE
Brunelleschi's Dome Completed
Filippo Brunelleschi's dome for Florence Cathedral is finished, a feat of engineering and perspective that inspired Renaissance artists. #art #architecture
Brunelleschi's Dome Completed By Gary Campbell-Hall - https://www.flickr.com/photos/garyullah/21208048669/, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=100734480
1475 CE
Botticelli Paints 'The Birth of Venus'
Sandro Botticelli creates 'The Birth of Venus', a seminal work of Early Renaissance painting with mythological themes and graceful figures. #art #renaissance
Botticelli Paints 'The Birth of Venus' By Sandro Botticelli - Adjusted levels from File:Sandro Botticelli - La nascita di Venere - Google Art Project.jpg, originally from Google Art Project. Compression Photoshop level 9., Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=22507491
1498 CE
Leonardo da Vinci's 'The Last Supper'
Leonardo da Vinci completes 'The Last Supper' in Milan, using perspective and emotion to depict the biblical scene. #art #renaissance )
Leonardo da Vinci's 'The Last Supper' By Leonardo da Vinci - Online Taken on 23 July 2013, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=50410532
1504 CE
Michelangelo's 'David' Unveiled
Michelangelo's marble statue of David is placed in Florence's Piazza della Signoria, symbolizing Renaissance ideals of human beauty and strength. #art #renaissance )
Michelangelo's 'David' Unveiled By Jörg Bittner Unna - Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=56633971
1508 CE
Michelangelo Begins Sistine Chapel Ceiling
Michelangelo starts painting the Sistine Chapel ceiling for Pope Julius II, a monumental fresco series including the 'Creation of Adam'. #art #renaissance
Michelangelo Begins Sistine Chapel Ceiling By Antoine Taveneaux - File:Sistine_Chapel_ceiling_02.jpg, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=117824241
1510 CE
Raphael's 'School of Athens'
Raphael paints 'The School of Athens' in the Vatican, depicting classical philosophers with idealized harmony and perspective. #art #renaissance
Raphael's 'School of Athens' By Raphael - Stitched together from vatican.va, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4406048
1519 CE
Leonardo da Vinci's 'Mona Lisa' Completed
Leonardo finishes the 'Mona Lisa', famous for its enigmatic smile and sfumato technique, now in the Louvre. #art #renaissance
Leonardo da Vinci's 'Mona Lisa' Completed By Leonardo da Vinci - Natural colors from 17:19, 18 August 2011 (UTC) version by Cybershot800i of File:Mona Lisa, by Leonardo da Vinci, from C2RMF retouched.jpg per this discussion. Cropped and relevelled from File:Mona Lisa, by Leonardo da Vinci, from C2RMF.jpg. Originally C2RMF: Galerie de tableaux en très haute définition: image page., Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=22963578
1526 CE
Dürer's 'Four Apostles' Painted
Albrecht Dürer completes 'Four Apostles', showing the influence of Italian Renaissance on German art. #art #renaissance )
1534 CE
Michelangelo's 'Last Judgment'
Michelangelo begins painting 'The Last Judgment' on the altar wall of the Sistine Chapel, a dramatic Mannerist work. #art #mannerism )
Michelangelo's 'Last Judgment' By Michelangelo - See below., Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16143987
1563 CE
Bruegel the Elder Paints 'The Tower of Babel'
Pieter Bruegel the Elder paints 'The Tower of Babel', a detailed Northern Renaissance landscape with moral allegory. #art #renaissance )
Bruegel the Elder Paints 'The Tower of Babel' By Pieter Brueghel the Elder - Levels adjusted from File:Pieter_Bruegel_the_Elder_-_The_Tower_of_Babel_(Vienna)_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg, originally from Google Art Project., Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=22179117
1599 CE
Caravaggio's 'Calling of Saint Matthew'
Caravaggio creates 'The Calling of Saint Matthew' with dramatic chiaroscuro and realism, defining Baroque style. #art #baroque )
Caravaggio's 'Calling of Saint Matthew' By Gleb Simonov - Own work, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=166007596
1624 CE
Bernini's 'Apollo and Daphne'
Gian Lorenzo Bernini sculpts 'Apollo and Daphne' for Cardinal Scipione Borghese, a masterpiece of Baroque dynamism and emotion. #art #baroque )
Bernini's 'Apollo and Daphne' By Architas - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=75895896
1642 CE
Rembrandt Paints 'The Night Watch'
Rembrandt van Rijn completes 'The Night Watch', a group portrait with dramatic lighting and movement, a peak of Dutch Baroque. #art #baroque
Rembrandt Paints 'The Night Watch' By Rembrandt - https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/collection/SK-C-5, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=79710878
1656 CE
Velázquez's 'Las Meninas'
Diego Velázquez paints 'Las Meninas', a complex composition with mirrors and perspectives, a masterpiece of Spanish Baroque. #art #baroque
Velázquez's 'Las Meninas' By Diego Velázquez - The Prado in Google Earth: Home page 7th level of zoom, JPEG compression quality: Photoshop 8., Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=22600614
1665 CE
Vermeer Paints 'Girl with a Pearl Earring'
Johannes Vermeer creates 'Girl with a Pearl Earring', an iconic Dutch Baroque portrait known for its subtle light and intimacy. #art #baroque
Vermeer Paints 'Girl with a Pearl Earring' By Johannes Vermeer - https://www.mauritshuis.nl/, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=55017931
1717 CE
Watteau's 'Pilgrimage to Cythera'
Jean-Antoine Watteau exhibits 'Pilgrimage to Cythera' at the Académie, initiating Rococo with dreamy outdoor scenes. #art #rococo
Watteau's 'Pilgrimage to Cythera' By Jean-Antoine Watteau - Retouched from File:L'Embarquement pour Cythere, by Antoine Watteau, from C2RMF.jpg, originally C2RMF: Galerie de tableaux en très haute définition: image page, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15715131
1756 CE
Boucher's 'Madame de Pompadour'
François Boucher paints 'Madame de Pompadour', epitomizing Rococo elegance and pastel colors. #art #rococo )
1771 CE
Fragonard's 'The Swing'
Jean-Honoré Fragonard completes 'The Swing', a playful Rococo masterpiece with lush garden setting. #art #rococo )
Fragonard's 'The Swing' By Ajc994 - The Trustees of the Wallace Collection, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=133740440
1785 CE
David's 'Oath of the Horatii'
Jacques-Louis David exhibits 'Oath of the Horatii', a Neoclassical painting emphasizing civic virtue and stoicism. #art #neoclassicism
David's 'Oath of the Horatii' By Jacques-Louis David - photo Shonagon 2025-03-15, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=162458623
1793 CE
David's 'Death of Marat'
Jacques-Louis David paints 'The Death of Marat', a revolutionary Neoclassical portrait using simplicity and pathos. #art #neoclassicism
David's 'Death of Marat' By Jacques-Louis David - Google Art & Culture: upload by user FDRMRZUSA. Web Gallery of Art, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=112018
1814 CE
Goya's 'The Third of May 1808'
Francisco Goya paints 'The Third of May 1808', a powerful Romantic depiction of war's brutality. #art #romanticism
Goya's 'The Third of May 1808' By El_Tres_de_Mayo,_by_Francisco_de_Goya,_from_Prado_in_Google_Earth.jpg: Francisco de Goya derivative work: Papa Lima Whiskey 2 - This file was derived from: El Tres de Mayo, by Francisco de Goya, from Prado in Google Earth.jpg:, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18777858
1818 CE
Géricault's 'The Raft of the Medusa'
Théodore Géricault exhibits 'The Raft of the Medusa', a monumental Romantic painting of survival and despair. #art #romanticism
Géricault's 'The Raft of the Medusa' By Théodore Géricault - Unknown source, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17456087
1830 CE
Delacroix's 'Liberty Leading the People'
Eugène Delacroix paints 'Liberty Leading the People', a Romantic allegory of the July Revolution in France. #art #romanticism
Delacroix's 'Liberty Leading the People' By Eugène Delacroix - photo Shonagon 2024-05-02, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=147987667
1849 CE
Courbet's 'The Stone Breakers'
Gustave Courbet paints 'The Stone Breakers', a Realist work depicting laborers with stark honesty. #art #realism
Courbet's 'The Stone Breakers' By Gustave Courbet - Web Gallery of Art: Image Info about artworkwga QS:P11807,"c/courbet/1/courb103", Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15452563
1857 CE
Millet's 'The Gleaners'
Jean-François Millet completes 'The Gleaners', a Realist portrayal of peasant women gleaning fields. #art #realism
Millet's 'The Gleaners' By Jean-François Millet - Google Arts & Culture — CgHjAgexUzNOOw, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20111149
1863 CE
Manet's 'Le Déjeuner sur l'Herbe'
Édouard Manet exhibits 'Le Déjeuner sur l'Herbe' at the Salon des Refusés, shocking viewers with its modern subject and style, a precursor to Impressionism. #art #impressionism
Manet's 'Le Déjeuner sur l'Herbe' By Édouard Manet - twELHYoc3ID_VA at Google Cultural Institute maximum zoom level, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=21855901
1872 CE
Monet's 'Impression, Sunrise'
Claude Monet paints 'Impression, Sunrise', which gives Impressionism its name, capturing light and atmosphere with loose brushwork. #art #impressionism
Monet's 'Impression, Sunrise' By Claude Monet - art database, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=23750619
1874 CE
First Impressionist Exhibition
The first Impressionist exhibition opens in Paris, featuring Monet, Renoir, Degas, and others, challenging academic art. #art #impressionism
First Impressionist Exhibition By Claude Monet - wartburg.edu, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5504881
1876 CE
Renoir's 'Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette'
Pierre-Auguste Renoir paints 'Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette', capturing Parisian leisure with dappled light. #art #impressionism
Renoir's 'Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette' By Pierre-Auguste Renoir - Google Art & Culture, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=182805794
1884 CE
Seurat's 'A Sunday on La Grande Jatte'
Georges Seurat exhibits 'A Sunday on La Grande Jatte', a pointillist masterpiece of Post-Impressionism. #art #postimpressionism
Seurat's 'A Sunday on La Grande Jatte' By Georges Seurat - https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/theater-dance/2016/09/01/huntington-two-georges-one-sondheim/OR1D4DPM8GsME67aXEjWiP/story.html, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11500785
1888 CE
Van Gogh's 'Sunflowers' Series
Vincent van Gogh paints his 'Sunflowers' in Arles, expressing emotional intensity through vibrant color and brushstroke. #art #postimpressionism )
1889 CE
Gauguin's 'Vision After the Sermon'
Paul Gauguin paints 'Vision After the Sermon', a Symbolist and Cloisonnist work with flat colors and bold outlines. #art #postimpressionism
Gauguin's 'Vision After the Sermon' By Paul Gauguin - 4. https://www.thetimes.com/magazines/culture-magazine/article/wild-thing-life-paul-gauguin-sue-prideaux-tk55c57wl1. http://www.nationalgalleries.org, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4557893
1893 CE
Munch's 'The Scream'
Edvard Munch paints 'The Scream', an iconic Expressionist work conveying anxiety and existential dread. #art #expressionism
Munch's 'The Scream' By Edvard Munch - Downloaded from nasjonalmuseet.no using dezoomify-rs, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=195454725
1905 CE
Fauvist Exhibition at Salon d'Automne
Henri Matisse and other Fauves exhibit at the Salon d'Automne, shocking viewers with wild, unnatural colors. #art #fauvism
Fauvist Exhibition at Salon d'Automne By Henri Matisse - http://www.sfmoma.org/explore/collection/artwork/213, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=157391682
1907 CE
Picasso's 'Les Demoiselles d'Avignon'
Pablo Picasso completes 'Les Demoiselles d'Avignon', a radical proto-Cubist work breaking from traditional perspective. #art #cubism
Picasso's 'Les Demoiselles d'Avignon' By Pablo Picasso - Museum of Modern Art, New York, PD-US, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=547064
1909 CE
First Futurist Manifesto
Filippo Tommaso Marinetti publishes the Futurist Manifesto, celebrating speed, technology, and modernity in art. #art #futurism
First Futurist Manifesto By Unknown - http://images.encarta.msn.com/xrefmedia/sharemed/targets/images/pho/t970/T970262A.jpg, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10609809
1910 CE
Kandinsky's First Abstract Watercolor
Wassily Kandinsky paints his first abstract watercolor, pioneering non-objective art. #art #abstract
Kandinsky's First Abstract Watercolor By Vassily Kandinsky by Adolf Elnain Photo credits : Georges Meguerditchian - Centre Pompidou, MNAM-CCI /Dist. RMN-GP Image reference : 4N55985 - wikipedia,, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=172119411
1912 CE
Picasso's 'Still Life with Chair Caning'
Pablo Picasso creates 'Still Life with Chair Caning', incorporating collage and marking a step in Synthetic Cubism. #art #cubism
1913 CE
Duchamp's 'Fountain'
Marcel Duchamp submits 'Fountain' (urinal) to the Society of Independent Artists, a Dada readymade challenging art definitions. #art #dada )
Duchamp's 'Fountain' By Marcel Duchamp / Alfred Stieglitz - NPR arthistory.about.com, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=74693078
1915 CE
Malevich's 'Black Square'
Kazimir Malevich paints 'Black Square', a Suprematist work reducing art to pure geometric abstraction. #art #abstract )
Malevich's 'Black Square' By Kazimir Malevich - Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, My Tretyakov, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31011870
1924 CE
Surrealist Manifesto Published
André Breton publishes the Surrealist Manifesto, launching the Surrealist movement exploring the unconscious. #art #surrealism
1937 CE
Picasso's 'Guernica'
Pablo Picasso paints 'Guernica' in response to the Spanish Civil War, a Cubist-inspired anti-war masterpiece. #art #cubism #war )
1950 CE
Pollock's Drip Paintings
Jackson Pollock creates his iconic drip paintings, epitomizing Abstract Expressionism and action painting. #art #abstractexpressionism
Pollock's Drip Paintings By Unknown author - https://www.si.edu/object/jackson-pollocks-passport:AAADCD_item_5557, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=124787205
