One thing is certain, throughout the time periods sketched above, art has meant different things, and it is likely to be differently defined in the future.
How do you think art will change in the future? How might it be different from today in 50 years? 100 years? 500 years?
The invention and adoption of the printing press was certainly one. As a result of the wider availability of books, literacy rates in Europe dramatically increased. Readers were empowered and in many ways we can trace the origin of our own information revolution to 15th-century Germany and Gutenberg’s first printing press.
Gutenberg's invention of the printing press had a major impact in the world. Access to books increased as did literacy rates.
monotheistic
What do you think monotheistic means?
Ancient
Also known as the Age of Antiquity
ancient Near East (think Babylonia), ancient Egypt, ancient Greece, the Etruscans, and the Romans
These civilizations makeup the "Ancient" period.
nomadic
What do you think nomadic means?
Take note of all the start and end dates for each period.
Western culture, the subject of this essay, is a phrase worth thinking about. West of what? West of who?
So in art history, when we talk about Western art or Western culture, we're not talking about country Western, as in cowboys, rodeos, and cattle. Here is a definition that helps:
"Western arts" as defined by Britanicca.com:
Western arts, the literary, performing, and visual arts of Europe and regions that share a European cultural tradition, including the United States and Canada.
the 1st Century included the years 1-100 (there was no year zero), and the 2nd Century, the years 101-200. Similarly, when we say 2nd Century B.C.E. we are referring to the years 101-200 B.C.E.
1-100 = 1st century 101-200 = 2nd century 701-800 = 8th century 1401-1500 = 15th century 1801-1900 =19th century 1901-2000 = 20th century 2001-2100 = 21st century
It's similar to birthdays…
the initials, A.D., stand for Anno Domini, which is Latin for “In the year of our Lord.”
How many of you thought A.D. stood for "after death," as in after the death of Christ? It's a common misconception.
A.D. = In the year of our Lord
B.C. refers to “Before Christ,”
How many of you already knew this?