Art is ever-evolving, just like us. The way an artist depicts scenes and expressions in art has evolved. And one of the best things about art in the 21st century is the wide range of available forms of expression. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the art styles made a remarkable leap in the types of painting styles. However, many of these innovations and leaps were influenced by technological advancements, like the metal paint tube, photography, etc. In addition, the changes in the social conventions, politics, philosophy, and world events also saw a change and rise in different painting styles. Keep reading as we take you through the various famous art styles worldwide.

1. Realism

Realism is one of the most well-known art forms around the world. It is one of the most dominant painting styles since the Renaissance movement. Realism is often regarded as ‘real art,’ It attempts to portray the painting’s subject as it appears in real life rather than painting it in a stylized or abstracted version. The artist puts lots of time and effort into making the painting look as accurate and honest as the subject. They use a series of hues and values paired with controlled brushstrokes. They also use perspective to create an illusion of space and depth around the subject in their paintings. While using composition and lighting effects helps make the subject appear natural in its true sense.

2. Impressionism

Another form of Western art style, Impressionism, emerged in the 1880s in Europe. The artists used relatively small, thin, and visible brush strokes and open composition in Impressionism. They emphasized the accurate depiction of natural light and unusual visual angles. This is one of the reasons why the impressionistic paintings were painted outdoors; that helped them capture the natural effects of sunlight and the color of the subjects. Impressionism used the representation of an artist’s impression. An example of the Impressionism style of paintings includes ‘Sunrise’ by Claude Monet.

3. Expressionism

Expressionism originated during the 20th century and was developed as a new painting style before the First World War. In this painting style, the artists portrayed the world from a subjective perspective, rather than distorting it to evoke any feelings or ideas in the viewer. The artists often used bold and unrealistic colors, focusing heavily on the meaning of emotional experience rather than the physical reality of their subject matter. They didn’t choose to depict the object as it exists, rather than how it felt or appeared to them. Some of the most famous paintings using the Expressionism art style is ‘The Scream’ by Edvard Munch.

Other than the paintings and art styles mentioned above, the artists used several other popular painting styles. Some of these styles include – Surrealism, Abstract, Photorealism, Pop Art, Painterly, Fauvism, Photorealism, Chinese Styles, Japanese Style, Indian Style, etc. Each of these art and painting styles has its meaning, beauty, and characteristics. Visit BeautiflyArt for more on art and paintings.