Modern Europe

c. 1830s–1940s CE

Bronze statue of a man with a thoughtful pose in a park setting

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

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

an artist slumped over his desk, asleep, while a crowd of strange nocturnal creatures—owls, bats, a lynx, and a black cat—converge around him

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.

Learn more about The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters

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

a frame painting with bright colors and visible brushstrokes shows a seascape with boats

Painting en plein aire and Monet's Impression, Sunrise (1872)

Learn more about Monet's Impression, Sunrise
A still life painting with a vase of roses is set against a green background

Impasto and Vincent van Gogh's Roses (1890)

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