History

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  According to expert art historian Marilyn Stokstad, artwork has been created since the Upper Paleolithic period (c. 42,000 to 8000 B.C.). During that time, women were often depicted in sculptures, horses, bison and other images were painted on cave walls and megalithic architecture--like Stonehenge and and giant carved statues on Easter Island--were built. Since that time, art has gone through many time periods, such as: the Bronze Age (Egyptian pyramids), Gothic (such as the Cathedral of Notre-Dame), Renaissance (Leonardo da Vinci's time), Baroque and Modern. Artwork has a long and rich history. Each period reveals extensive information about the time and place in which it was created. Art historians analyze art pieces and answer specific questions about the artistic influences, stylistic detail, audience and historical context.
  
  

Types

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  Visual artwork can manifest in many forms, including architecture, sculpture, paintings, drawings, masks, pottery, instruments, murals and glass. Additionally, artwork is often categorized by its unique style, such as Cubism, Impressionism, Abstract, Realism and Surrealism. Many art historians, collectors, connoisseurs and sellers have a preferred type and style of art. Many famous artists are known to create only a specific type of art--Van Gogh and Expressionist paintings, Annie Leibowitz and photographic art, and Frida Kahlo and natural surrealism.
  
  

Purpose

• The creation of visual art is an outward expression of the artist's senses, experiences, paradigms and emotions. Artwork is often used for religious and spiritual purposes, like rituals, dances and ornamental decor. Artwork is also intended as a means to use the imagination, communicate in a non-verbal way, relate to universal things, entertainment, political and social statements, search for meaning, event commemoration, humor, historical recording, story narration, emotional and psychological healing and as a means of propaganda. Andy Warhol once explained that "An artist is someone who produces things that people don't need to have but that he--for some reason--thinks it would be a good idea to give them."
  
  

Identification

• Art historians and connoisseurs can identify, date and study artwork in a variety of ways. They look for physical evidence that would indicate the age of the artwork. For example, specific materials were only invented in the last few hundred years (such as plastic). Additionally, artwork can be identified by documentation, if available (such as a commissioned letter for a church painting). Visual clues can tell a wealth of information about a piece of art, such as the use of a hair style in a painting may hint to the time period in which it was created. Artwork can also be identified by its stylistic detailing. Examine the way it looks, the materials used and the tools necessary for artwork creation to learn more about a piece of art.
  
  

Expert Insight

• Vocabulary about artwork can be as rich in depth as the artwork itself. Art lovers often used specialized terminology to describe artworks, including form, composition, technique, material, line, color, texture, volume, space, symbol and perspective. Oftentimes, art vocabulary is used for point persuasion, item description and context analysis. Those interested in art history, discussion and ownership should learn important artwork vernacular to describe wordless visual artwork in accurate and colorful detail.