Art has the power to change the way we see the world, awakening us to new perspectives, ideas and values. It can take us back in time to reflect on our past or push us further into our future. Art can raise awareness of social problems and foster a sense of acceptance that unites people regardless of their origin. Art acts as a collective memory of society. Through expressive media such as paintings, sculptures, music, literature, and other art forms, artists preserve life as we know it even better than fact-based historical records.
Art expresses how it felt to exist at a particular time. Ancient artists displayed their daily lives in the form of cave paintings and petroglyphs at Bhimbhetka, Venus of Berekhat Ram and other places around the world. These expressive publications showed life hundreds of thousands of years ago in its most precise form. Art is a multifaceted phenomenon that serves as a reflection of our most intimate emotions and the world around us.
It evokes feelings, from joy and pain to anger, creating a bridge of understanding between diverse groups of people. By transcending languages and cultures, art becomes an invaluable asset for fostering unity and peace. And in every historical change and transition, art has accompanied human development through its different movements, ways of thinking and ways of doing and creating art. In addition, learning an art form makes it economically viable, since it helps us create, manage and distribute art and, at the same time, employ many people in the process.
Below are some examples of important art movements and influences from each prominent period in Western art history. The integration of art into companies provides a platform for the arts to speak globally. Also known as modern art, contemporary art is the art of today, produced by artists who live in our time. Japonism, a term first used by French art critic Philippe Burty in the late 19th century, summarizes the profound influence of Japanese art, design, and culture on Western art.
