Core Regions of Western Art
Introduction
For each period of Western art, one or more core regions can typically be identified. The term "core region" may be defined as the most accomplished and influential region of a given age.
From a broad perspective, Western culture can be divided into two phases, ancient and modern (with the medieval period acting as a connector). The primary culture of the ancient West was Greco-Roman culture (that is, the sum of Greek and Roman culture). The Middle Ages (ca. 500-1500) then witnessed the rise of the six primary cultural regions ("primary" in terms of political and cultural influence) of the modern Western world: Italian, Spanish, French, English, German, and Russian.
region (by principal spoken language) | principal nations |
Italian | Italy |
Spanish | Spain |
French | France |
English | Britain, United States |
German | Germany, Austria |
Russian | Russia |
Visual Art
3000-2000 BC | 2000-1000 BC | 1000 BC-0 | 0-1000 | 1000-present | |||||||||
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 7 | |||||||||
5 | 6 | 8 | |||||||||||
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
Aegean ca. 3000-1200 BC |
Greek ca. 1200 BC-0 |
Roman ca. 0-500 |
Medieval ca. 500-1500 |
Renaissance ca. 1400-1600 |
Baroque ca. 1600-1800 |
Neoclassical/Romantic ca. 1750-1900 |
Modern ca. 1850- |
age | span | core region(s) |
Aegean | ca. 3000-1200 BC | Minoans > Mycenaeans |
Greek | ca. 1200 BC-0 | Greece |
Roman | ca. 0-500 AD | Rome |
early medieval | ca. 500-1000 | no core > Carolingians > Ottonians |
later medieval | ca. 1000-1500 | France |
Renaissance | ca. 1400-1600 | Italy |
Early/High Baroque | ca. 1600-75 | |
Late Baroque/Rococo | ca. 1675-1800 | France |
Neoclassical/Romantic | ca. 1750-1900 | France, Germany, Britain, United States |
modern | ca. 1850-present |
Music
1200 BC-0 | 0-1000 | 1000-present | |||||||
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | ||||
7 | |||||||||
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
ancient music ca. 1200 BC-500 AD |
medieval music ca. 500-1400 |
Renaissance music ca. 1400-1600 |
Baroque music ca. 1600-1750 |
Classical music ca. 1750-1820 |
Romantic music ca. 1820-1900 |
Modern music ca. 1850- |
age | span | core region(s) |
ancient | ca. 1200 BC-500 AD | Greece > Rome |
early medieval | ca. 500-1000 | no core |
later medieval | ca. 1000-1500 | France |
Renaissance | ca. 1400-1600 | Burgundy > Low Countries > Italy |
Baroque | ca. 1600-1750 | Italy, Germany |
Classical | ca. 1750-1820 | Austria |
Romantic | ca. 1820-1900 | Italy, Germany, Austria, France |
modern | ca. 1850-present | no core |
Literature
800 BC-0 | 0-1000 | 1000-present | |||||
1 | 2 | ||||||
3 | 4 | 5 | |||||
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
ancient literature ca. 800 BC-500 AD |
medieval literature ca. 500-1500 |
Renaissance/Reformation literature ca. 1300-1650 |
Enlightenment literature ca. 1650-1800 |
modern literature ca. 1800- |
age | span | core region(s) |
ancient | ca. 800 BC-500 AD | Greece > Rome |
early medieval | ca. 500-1000 | no core |
later medieval | ca. 1000-1500 | France |
Renaissance/Reformation | ca. 1300-1650 | Italy, France, Spain, Britain |
Enlightenment | ca. 1650-1800 | France, Britain, Germany |
modern | ca. 1800-present | France, Russia, Britain, Germany, United States |