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common? If so, they are likely from the same period. Sometimes the room is labeled: look above and beside the doorways, and on museum maps. If you like all the artwork in the room, you might enjoy a specific period of art. Try to identify the art period that you like so you can easily find more of it in the future.

Many artworks from the Antiquities period are not 'art' but 'artifacts.' These objects saw everyday use. We are drawn to these objects because we can imagine their use and appreciate their functionality as much as their form. For many of us, it is easier to get a handle on a cup than a painting.

Greek and Roman art was produced during the Classical period. Representative art from this period include fine art in the form of statues, and artifacts, especially black and red painted ceramics. Realistic details and idealized human forms characterize this period.

Medieval art seems less realistic than Classical art. Most art from this period was religious, illustrating scenes from the bible or lives of saints. Medieval art mays seem "flat" and the people seem to stand on top of each other instead of behind each other.

Art of the Renaissance period is well known. Michelangelo, Raphael, and Leonardo da Vinci are Italian Renaissance painters. Other regions had their own Renaissance art. Artists have now become famous, and art again becomes more realistic. Renaissance art is known for its detail, perspective, and the three-dimensional appearance of the figures in the paintings.

The Baroque and Neoclassical periods came after the Renaissance. Baroque art takes the techniques of the Renaissance to the extreme. As a result, Baroque art often feels "heavy," because it is weighed down with as many details, and as much color, texture, and emotion as an artist could manage. Neoclassical art takes the ideals of the Renaissance to an extreme. These pieces often depict historical subjects with an emphasis on the "moral" of the tale.

The artists of the Realism period copied the world around them in stark detail. No romanticized historical tales or imaginary places appear in this art.

Modern Artists re-examined the definition of art. Modern Art is often experimental or designed to shock or stimulate the viewer in some way.

Monet and his counterparts created Impressionistic art. These artists used color and light to show subjects rather than relying on outlining objects.

Cubism used geometric shapes to depict a subject, often using them to show all sides of the object at once. Picasso and others also used these geometric shapes to show an object moving or passing through time.

Abstract art does not depict any subject. Sometimes it appears child-like, other times confusing. The emphasis on color, or technique of the artwork. These pieces can be meant to evoke a mood or just to show color and shape for its own sake.

Non-Western Art is a catch-all category of art that includes anything not produced by Europeans and their descendants in the Americas. Art periods are divided first by location, and then by time.

We hope that this guide is helpful to you. Interpreting art just requires that you really look at a piece and spend a little time thinking about it while you view it. Enjoy your trip to the museum.

Learn more about this author, Vicky Harper.
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