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The Ultimate Art History Guide: Time Periods

Browse over 60 great art history resources divided by time periods. There are links to special museum collections, online art galleries, university art history projects, and more.

Check out everything from cave paintings from prehisotic times to breathtaking Gothic churches to photographs from artists who are in their prime right now.

Prehistoric - Late Antiquity - Early Medieval - Gothic - Renaissance Art in Italy - Renaissance Art Outside Italy - Baroque - 18th Century - 19th Century - 20th Century - Contemporary - Contemporary: Prints & Photographs

Prehistoric

  • Prehistoric Art (Sweet Briar College): This resource provides all of the basics about the prehistoric era and the type of art it produced, and provides great photographs. It also presents research, scientific theories, recent news, and more.Prehistoric Art
  • Prehistoric Art (The State Hermitage Museum): On the landing page linked to here, you will find a summary of the collection that is displayed at the State Hermitage Museum. Several divisions, including Paleolithic, Neolithic, and Eastern European barbarians, come with photographs and histories of each period.
  • Prehistoric Art Timeline (Encyclopedia of Irish and World Art): This is a comprehensive chronological timeline of art in the Stone Age, from 2.5 million to 500 B.C.
  • Art of Prehistory (Eyecon Art): Here you will find some good quality images of cave paintings, carvings, sculptures, and edifices constructed during the Paleolithic and Neolithic periods.
  • Prehistoric Art (Virtual Museum): This site seeks to accumulate Prehistoric artwork from museums and galleries all over the world into one website, where anyone can view it from anywhere. Cave paintings, and other art from all periods are included. While they are still building their image collection, there is information regarding each period.

Late Antiquity

  • Byzantine Art (New Advent): This entry in the Catholic encyclopedia discusses several aspects of Byzantine art, including influences, characteristics, and examples.  There are several hyperlinks throughout the article for those who want to learn more about specific topics mentioned.
  • The Early Christian Art (The University of Oklahoma): This page is maintained by Dr. Basic, Associate Professor of Art History at the University of Oklahoma. This site requires patience to navigate, but there are several images of Byzantine art reproduced here.
  • Early Christian Art (SUNY College at Oneonta): This site gives a brief history of art in early Christianity. There are also several pictures that serve as examples of points talked about on the page.
  • Early Christian Art (WebChron): This page on early Christian art is set up in a part narrative, part essay format, complete with citations. There are some high quality photos of the catacombs included.
  • Pagans, Christians, and Jews: The Art of the Late Antiquity (Morton Ranch High School): This PDF file contains notes that are part of a course taught by Elizabeth Paz, a high school teacher. You will find six pages’ worth of late antiquity art history and backgrounds on certain famous pieces in the Pagan, Christian, and Judaism religions.

Early Medieval

Gothic

Renaissance Art in Italy

Renaissance Art Outside Italy

Baroque

18th Century

19th Century

20th Century

Contemporary

Contemporary: Prints & Photographs

  • A Brief History of Photography (Eyecon Art): This article explores the origins of cameras and photographs. Here you can view the first photograph ever taken, read about the founders of motion photography, the beginnings of using photography as a means of documentation, and much more.
  • World's Best Photography Project: This is a great site that allows photographers to share their images with the world. You can search by artist, browse the collection, or look at random images.
  • Photography (National Geographic): It's a well-known fact that National Geographic publishes some of the most astounding images of nature and animals in the world, as this website clearly demonstrates. Categories to browse include travel, underwater, animals, landscapes, black and white, and several more.
  • What Is A Print? (The Museum of Modern Art): This fun, interactive site takes you through the history of printmaking along with demonstrations of woodcut, etching, lithography, and screenprint.
  • A Brief History of Printmaking (World Printmakers): As the title states, this site offers a history of printmaking, including its usage in Europe, it's evolution in the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries, and Picasso's exploration of printmaking.
  • 13 Photographs That Changed the World (Neatorama): This is an enlightening piece on how art can change the history of things. This is most applicable in the world of photography, as this article clearly demonstrates.
  • Beautiful Black and White Photography (Smashing Magazine): This article, written for Smashing Magazine, intends to communicate the depth and power of black and white photography. Included are several inspiring images taken by various photographers.