Europe: 19th century

Romanticism

c. 1800 - 1848

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• Beginner's guide

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

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 created a modern art by capturing the rapid pace of contemporary life, new forms of leisure, and the fleeting conditions of light.

Post-Impressionism

c. 1880 - 1900

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The Post-Impressionists turned away from the natural world to focus on subjective experiences.

Sculpture

c. 1865 - 1900

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

Symbolism and Art Nouveau

c. 1870 - 1910

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The 19th century ends with the artifice of Art Nouveau as artists turned their back on material reality.

Peredvizhniki

1870 - 1923

The group of artists called the Peredvizhniki (The Wanderers) sought an unvarnished representation of contemporary life in Russia—for an audience that included more than just the elite.