Modern Europe
c. 1830s–1940s CE
From the Enlightenment to the avant-garde movements that shaped today’s culture, the history and art of modern Europe has profoundly shaped our world today
18th century
This was a period of profound change, with the rise of industrialization, political revolutions, and the expansion of empires
Overviews
Introductions to major historical movements, artistic styles, and more
What is Neoclassicism?
COMING SOON: What is Romanticism?
Spain
From 1700 to 1808, the Spanish Empire entered a new era under the Bourbon dynasty. Intellectual trends associated with the Enlightenment mark this era, as well as waning political influence.
Enlightenment and Romanticism
The Spanish artist Francisco Goya’s The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters (1799) is one of the most iconic images from his series Los Caprichos. Learn how it relates to the Enlightenment.
19th century
This was a period of profound change, with the rise of industrialization, political revolutions, and the expansion of empires
France
Revolutions, imperialism, and the rise of modernism affected France in the 19th century
Impressionism and Post-Impressionism
Painting en plein aire and Monet's Impression, Sunrise (1872)
Impasto and Vincent van Gogh's Roses (1890)
20th century
The first half of the 20th century brought two devastating world wars, as well as many new ways of creating and seeing the world
Abstraction
Artists began to experiment with non-representational forms to grapple with new social realities
VIDEO: What is abstraction? | Piet Mondrian, Composition No. III, and other artists
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