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.

The Six Primary Cultural Regions of the West
region (by principal spoken language)	principal nations
Italian	Italy
Spanish	Spain
French	France
English	Britain, United States
German	Germany, Austria
Russian	Russia

Visual Art

Ages of Western 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	Italy
Late Baroque/Rococo	ca. 1675-1800	France
Neoclassical/Romantic	ca. 1750-1900	France, Germany, Britain, United States
modern	ca. 1850-present	France, Germany, Britain, United States

Music

Ages of Western 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

Ages of Western 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