Unit1Art-Reading

　　ASHORTHISTORYOFWESTERNPAINTING

　　Artisinfluencedbythecustomsandfaithofapeople.StylesinWesternarthavechangedmanytimes.AstherearesomanydifferentstylesofWesternart,itwouldbeimpossibletodescribealloftheminsuchashorttext.Consequently,thistextwilldescribeonlythemostimportantones,startingfromthesixthcenturyAD.

　　TheMiddleAges(5thtothe15thcenturyAD)

　　DuringtheMiddleAges,themainaimofpainterswastorepresentreligiousthemes.Aconventionalartistofthisperiodwasnotinterestedinshowingnatureandpeopleastheyreallywere.Atypicalpictureatthistimewasfullofreligioussymbols,whichcreatedfeelingofrespectandloveforGod.Butitwasevidentthatideaswerechanginginthe13thcenturywhenpainterslikeGiottodiBondonebegantopaintreligiousscenesinamorerealisticway.

　　TheRenaissance(15thto16thcentury)

　　DuringtheRenaissance,newideasandvaluesgraduallvreplacedthoseheldintheMiddleAges.Peoplebegantoconcentratelessonreligiousthemesandadoptamorehumanisticattitudetolife.AtthesametimepaintersreturnedtoclassicalRomanandGreekideasaboutart.Theytriedtopaintpeopleandnatureastheyreallywere.Richpeoplewantedtopossesstheirownpaintings,sotheycoulddecoratetheirsuperbpalacesandgreathouses.Theypaidfamousartiststopaintpicturesofthemselves,theirhousesandpossessionsaswellastheiractivitiesandachievements.

　　Oneofthemostimportantdiscoveriesduringthisperiodwashowtodrawthingsinperspective.ThistechniquewasfirstusedbyMasaccioin1428.Whenpeoplefirstsawhispaintings,theywereconvincedthattheywerelookingthroughaholeinawallatarealscene.Iftherolesofperspectivehadnotbeendiscovered,noonewouldhavebeenabletopaintsuchrealisticpictures.Bycoincidence,oilpaintswerealsodevelopedatthistime,whichmadethecoloursusedinpaintingslookricheranddeeper.Withoutthenewpaintsandthenewtechnique,wewouldnotbeabletoseethemanygreatmasterpiecesforwhichthisperiodisfamous.

　　Impressionism(late19thtoearly20thcentury)

　　Inthelate19thcentury,Europechangedagreatdeal.fromamostlyagriculturalsocietytoamostlyindustrialone.Manypeoplemovedfromthecountrysidetothenewcities.Thereweremanynewinventionsandsocialchanges.Naturally,thesechangesalsoledtonewpaintingstyles.AmongthepainterswhobrokeawayfromthetraditionalstyleofpaintingweretheImpressionists,wholivedandworkedinParis.

　　TheImpressionistswerethefirstpainterstoworkoutdoors.Theywereeagertoshowhowlightandshadowfellonobjectsatdifferenttimesofday.However,becausenaturallightchangessoquickly,theImpressionistshadtopaintquickly.Theirpaintingswerenotasdetailedasthoseofearlierpainters.Atfirst,manypeopledislikedthisstyleofpaintingandbecameveryangraboutit.Theysaidthatthepainterswerecarelessandtheirpaintingswereridiculous.

　　ModernArt(20thcenturytotoday)

　　Atthetimetheywerecreated,theImpressionistpaintingswerecontroversial,buttodaytheyareacceptedasthebeginningofwhatwecall"modemart".ThisisbecausetheImpressionistsencouragedartiststolookattheirenvironmentinnewways.Therearescoresofmodernartstyles,butwithouttheImpressionists,manyofthese