Visual History of the World

(CONTENTS)
 

HISTORY OF CIVILIZATION & CULTURE From Prehistoric to Romanesque  Art Gothic Art Renaissance  Art Baroque and Rococo Art The Art of Asia Neoclassicism, Romanticism  Art Art Styles in 19th century Art of the 20th century Artists that Changed the World Design and Posters Photography Classical Music Literature and Philosophy Visual History of the World Prehistory First Empires The Ancient World The Middle Ages The Early Modern Period The Modern Era The World Wars and Interwar Period The Contemporary World Dictionary of Art and Artists

The Early Modern Period

16th - 18th century


 

The smooth transition from the Middle Ages to the Modern Age is conventionally fixed on such events as the Reformation and the discovery of the "New World," which brought about the emergence of a new image of man and his world. Humanism, which spread out of Italy, also made an essential contribution to this with its promotion of a critical awareness of Christianity and the Church. The Reformation eventually broke the all-embracing power of the Church. After the Thirty Years' War, the concept of a universal empire was also nullified. The era of the nation-state began, bringing with it the desire to build up political and economic power far beyond Europe. The Americas, Africa, and Asia provided regions of expansion for the Europeans.
 

Proportions of the Human Figure by Leonardo da Vinci (drawing, ca. 1490)
is a prime example of the new approach of Renaissance
artists and scientists to the anatomy of the human body.

Bosch's Monsters

 

see also:
 

Revelations. Devil Art of the Apocalypse

Alchemy & Mysticism. The Hermetic Cabinet