Europe: 19th century

Romanticism

c. 1800 - 1848

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Romanticism had its roots in 18th-century England, but soon spread across Europe.

Early Photography

1800 - 1900

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Works by the earliest photographers challenge our notions of what defines a work of art.

Victorian art

1837 - 1901

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The reign of Queen Victoria saw the growth of industry and empire, but also a new awareness of the plight of the poor.

Realism

c. 1840 - 1900

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How could art about classical gods and biblical stories relate to a culture enchanted with progress? In the middle of the nineteenth century, young artists decided that it couldn’t and shouldn’t.

Second Empire

1852 - 1870

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The reign of France's second emperor, Napoleon III, saw the rise of the leisure class and the transformation of Paris into a modern city.

Impressionism

c. 1874 - 1886

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The Impressionists found beauty in the city and its suburbs, new forms of leisure, and the fleeting effects of light.

Post-Impressionism

c. 1880 - 1900

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The Post-Impressionists took divergent paths, exploring emotional depth and scientific rigor as they painted cityscapes, biblical subjects, still-lives, and many other subjects.

Sculpture

c. 1865 - 1900

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Like painting, 19th-century European sculpture challenged academic traditions, depicting the human form in radically new ways.

Symbolism and Art Nouveau

c. 1870 - 1910

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As the 19th century ends, artists turn their back on material reality.

Peredvizhniki

1870 - 1923

These artists, also known as the Wanderers, put life in Russia into sharp focus.