A Brief History of Painting: From Ancient Cave Art to Modern masterpieces

How did the world come to be full of paintings? Who was the first person to pick up a paintbrush? What techniques did they use, and why did they want to use them? In this brief history of painting, we’ll try to find the answers to these questions, as well as how painting has evolved through the ages and how it continues to change today.

What is Painting

Paintings have been created since as early as 20,000 B.C., but what is painting? There are many theories about what actually constitutes a painting, with no concrete definition on which everyone agrees. The difference between a drawing and a painting is that in a drawing, there is more emphasis on line work and negative space than color, while in a painting all three are used. Even though you can find cave paintings dating back 30,000 years ago at least, we’ll begin our history lesson after civilization had taken root around 5500 B.C. Many of these artifacts were found in caves or other shelters where they could be protected from elements—but some pictures were even painted on cliff faces!

The origins of painting

The oldest known paintings are in caves across Europe and Asia, dating back as far as 40,000 years. These cave paintings were created by applying pigment suspended in either animal fat or vegetable oil with a binder such as gum arabic. The same pigments used today were in use then, including red ochre (ferric oxide), yellow ochre (iron-rich clay minerals), and charcoal black. Pigment wasn't necessarily all from natural sources; red lead was originally made from ground up burnt Roman bricks! Although modern painters would likely shudder at using such harsh-sounding ingredients on their artworks, there are still many instances where toxic pigments are used—it’s just a lot harder to find them now.

Cave Art

The oldest cave paintings are estimated to be between 32,000 and 38,000 years old, although there is debate over their accuracy. They were most likely created by Neanderthals in what is now El Castillo (Spain), but similar work was also done in La Marche (France) and Cueva de las Manos (Argentina). It’s hard to know exactly what these first artists were painting because we have no idea how they were able to create their art. The oldest pigment that could be used for painting is ochre and it wasn’t developed until 50,000 years ago. So perhaps they used natural earth pigments or burned bones that contained a dark residue. Who knows?

The stages in the development of oil paints

The earliest paints were made from minerals and rocks, such as red ochre and white lime. Painters grinded these natural ingredients into powder form and mixed them with water to create paint. Artists painted on walls of caves with bison dung mixed with animal fat or charcoal to draw images they wanted others to see. This type of painting is called cave art. When pre-historic humans moved from caves, they still carried on using these rudimentary forms of paints. For example, rock paintings found in India are from around 4000 BCE and these artworks have a long history in China (14th century BC) too

Late Medieval, Early Renaissance and Baroque

The work of artists during these eras is characterized by emotional intensity and a vivid use of color. The Dutch Golden Age was from approximately 1585 to 1680, with 27% rated as good, 20% very good and 14% among history's greatest art. Rembrandt van Rijn, Johannes Vermeer, Jan Steen, Jacob van Ruisdael and Frans Hals are among Rembrandt's most famous works.

Rococo and Neoclassicism

The 18th century saw a shift in perspective. The Rococo style, born out of an artistic reaction against Baroque’s ornateness, was at its peak during Louis XV's reign. But when his great-grandson ascended to the throne as Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette as queen, art became a more formal affair. Neoclassicism made its debut, first in France and then spreading across Europe and North America (with American painters such as Gilbert Stuart). Neoclassicism—which draws heavily on Greek and Roman statues—revived grandeur in painting, represented by French artists such as Jacques-Louis David. The style influenced much modern Western art for centuries after it faded from fashion (and only recently gained new appreciation).

Realism and Impressionism

The first artistic movement to focus on capturing reality was realism, which began in France in 18th century. Realism used techniques like lighting and shadows to accurately portray everyday life. Realism soon gave way to impressionism, a movement that focused on how light appeared on different surfaces (such as paint or leaves). Impressionist artists began incorporating color and motion into their work. Other artistic movements have followed, such as pop art, abstract expressionism and more recently digital art.

Post-Impressionism, Fauvism and Expressionism

Post-Impressionism emerged around 1890. The term was coined by critic Louis Vauxcelles, who believed that artists such as Vincent van Gogh, Paul Gauguin and Georges Seurat had abandoned true impressionism. In fact, he believed they had gone much further—attacking not just a style but a way of seeing. And in doing so, they ushered in an entirely new movement: Post-Impressionism. These painters went far beyond depicting light and color; they broke down form into its most basic components—like Cezanne with his apples and cubes or Van Gogh with his brushstrokes and swirling colors.

Abstract Expressionism and Pop Art

Abstract Expressionism was an art movement that began in New York in the 1940s and lasted until 1960. It was developed by a group of artists who wanted to free themselves from any kind of formalistic concept. Artists such as Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, Franz Kline, Robert Motherwell, Philip Guston and Mark Rothko contributed to abstract expressionism. The abstract expressionist style used emotional abstraction (as opposed to realistic representation) in its paintings. Abstract expressionists use thick paint which is thrown onto a canvas or paper in a way that emphasizes directionality and energy with random patterns along with areas of no paint at all; it is often used for drawing but can also be for painting purposes too.

Contemporary art

If you're familiar with contemporary art, or just want a quick refresher course, check out Picasso's Guernica, Pollock's No. 5 1948, Rothko's White Center (Yellow, Pink and Lavender on Rose), Warhol's Campbell Soup cans and Dali's melting clocks for some timeless examples. While these aren't considered traditional paintings in a modern sense, they are what most people think of when it comes to fine art. Abstract paintings created by Kandinsky and Mondrian are also part of modern painting, as is landscape painting by Van Gogh and photography by Ansel Adams . Modern artist Jasper Johns explored abstract expressionism in his work. His pieces have been called ironic reflections on American identity.