While you may be familiar with popular art styles such as Baroque painting and Romantic art, there are lots of other art styles that you probably have not heard of.
When forming a definition of art style, it is useful to think of the art style as a particular way of producing art, which contains a distinct visual language.
Art styles can be reused across time or last for decades and centuries, while art movements are defined by their development in a specific and shorter time frame.
The figurative art style is defined by the representation of objects from the real world and is closely connected to naturalism and realism. The figurative art style encompasses the idea of representation itself and is the oldest art style to date.
The style incorporates the use of geometry and regular shapes and is also referred to as geometric abstraction. Geometric art features geometric designs that may serve specific symbolic meanings.
The Classical art style was inspired by the artistic preferences that flourished between the 5th and 4th centuries BCE in ancient Greece and Rome. This style is considered to be among the most influential art styles.
The Byzantine style of art was defined by the artistic preferences of the Eastern Roman Empire, which lasted from 330 CE until 1453. The Byzantine style is one of the most popular Medieval styles of art.
The Japanese art style known as Ukiyo-e emerged in the 17th century and was popular throughout the first half of the 20th century. Among the most prominent artists of this style were Katsushika Hokusai and Utagawa Hiroshige.
The Baroque style originated during a period of artistic preference for drama and grandiosity, marked by the visual aesthetics promoted by the use of the chiaroscuro effect.
The naturalistic art style is defined as art that is representative of elements from the physical world and is used to portray subjects and objects as they appear in the natural world with as much accuracy as possible.
The style was characterized by its use of natural forms for ornamental decoration and originated from the French term rocaille, which was used for shell-covered rock art that was used to decorate artificial grottoes.
While realistic art had its place in the Renaissance due to the ideals of humanism, realistic art aims to represent the world as it appeared objectively and avoided stylization.
The Avant-garde style is used to describe any approach to art-making that is considered innovative or new and is often affiliated with the 20th-century philosophy that art should be critiqued on its originality.
The style of Impressionist art is defined by a stray from a realistic representation of color with loose brushwork and a focus on the effects of light on the subject.
Artworks often represent common subjects in fragmented forms and use a limited color palette with overlapping plans to visually disorientate the subject and challenge its viewer’s perception of form and space.
The Dadaist style revolved around anti-bourgeois ideals, which were focused on the irrational and nonsensical elements of art that helped artists channel their creativity with more freedom.
The minimalist style was derived from the Modern era in the mid-1960s when simplicity in form was prioritized as opposed to chaotic and experimental work.
Art categorized as “Contemporary” was founded between the 1980s and the present era, which encompasses subjects of the current period that are produced by living artists.