Timeline from Prehistoric to Romanticism....

The bison bull and cow sculpture above dates back to the prehistoric era. Modelled in clay in the rotunda of the Tuc d'Audoubert, Ariege.The sculptures are 63 and 61 cm long respectively from left to right. I find it interesting that they have lasted this long in such relatively good condition with only a few minor cracks. I also find it interesting that they look sort of like animal crackers.

Above is an example of a Greecian Urn circa about the 5th century B.C. They used these vases to commemorate events or tell stories. Many centuries later John Keats pened the poem "Ode to a Grecian Urn" which we had to disect in one of the English classes I took in the past.

The famous quote from that:

"'Beauty is truth, truth beauty,'- that is all

Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know."

This double portait of two bearded men is from the Roman sculpture section of the Louvre. The older man is Greek philosopher Epicurus and the younger is his disciple Metrodorus. I was reading that during his life on the 20th of every month followers of Epicurus celebrated the day of his birth as a day set aside to remember the importance of his idea that, "the greatest good was to seek modest pleasures in order to attain a state of tranquility and freedom from fear"

I love the quote attributed to Epicurus: "Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; but remember that what you have now was once among the things you only hoped for."

Romanesque capital (c. 1150-1200 CE)French, late 12th century Sculpture: marble16" x 19" x 12''
From the Krannert Art Museum Website: "European stonecarvers who lived in former provinces of the Roman empire could be inspired by ancient models, yet Roman carving seldom displays the whimsy characteristic of much of the sculpture and painting we call Romanesque."

Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel detail "The Creation of Adam"
This major cultural rebirth and revival began in Italy during the 1300's and spread throughout Europe until around 1650.
"During the Renaissance, the arts, architecture, literature, science and all aspects of culture received a new breath of life and relief from the relatively bleaker periods of the dark and middle ages. This was based upon the rediscovery and renewed appreciation of ancient Roman and Greek culture."

"Baroque literally means an uneven pearl. It came from the Portuguese word barocco. Now, it means art that is bizarre, flamboyant and elaborately ornamented. Modern historians use it simply to refer to a particular style in arts. Basically, baroque movement involve the filling up of space. Painters, sculptors, musicians were concerned with filling up the space on their scores and canvas and making their art like an elaborate stage setting."

NeoClassical circa the 1700-1800's
This house is an example of Neoclassical architechture but the architecture website I was looking at described neoclassicism as a trend as more of an approach to design rather than a distinct design style. A "Neoclassic" house could resemble a Federal, Greek Revival, or Georgian house.

Romanticism

The Lady of Shallot by John William Waterhouse

"Romanticism was a secular and intellectual movement in the history of ideas that originated in late 18th century Western Europe. It followed the Enlightenment period and was in part inspired by a revolt against aristocratic social and political norms of the previous period, as well as a reaction against the rationalization of nature by the Enlightenment: Romanticism is an aspect of what has been called the Counter-Enlightenment. It stressed strong emotion (which now might include trepidation, awe, and horror as aesthetic experiences), legitimized the individual imagination as a critical authority (which permitted freedom within or from classical notions of form in art), and overturned some previous social conventions."