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Western art refers to traditional forms of art such as painting, sculpture, architecture, and art installations that originated in Europe. The history of Western art can be traced back to ancient Greece and Rome, evolving and enriching itself through various historical events and cultural exchanges.

During the Middle Ages, the spread and dissemination of Christianity in Europe led to the emergence of a series of religious artworks, such as murals, stained glass, pointed arches, and mosaics. In the Renaissance, artists began to study human anatomy and perspective, creating more realistic artworks. The subsequent Baroque art emphasized a sense of movement and drama.

In the 19th century, Impressionist artists began to explore the use of light and color, paving the way for modern painting. In the 20th century, the rise of modernism and abstract art pushed Western art towards a more diverse and avant-garde direction.

Western art is not only an important part of art history but also a treasure in the cultural heritage of humanity. Classic works of Western art are exhibited not only in museums in Europe and America but are also widely appreciated and studied around the world.

Lascaux Cave Paintings

Located in France
's southwestern DordogneMontignac
in the Vézère Valley
, there are over 600 Stone Agecave paintings
. The content of the paintings mainly depicts large animals that roamed the area during the Upper Paleolithic
, such as bison, megacerops
, and wild horses. The paintings were created by generations of people who lived there, dating back approximately 17,000 years (early Magdalenian culture
). [1][2][3]
In 1979, the Lascaux Caves were designated as a UNESCOWorld Heritage
site as part of the Vézère Valley Prehistoric Sites.

Venus of Willendorf This statue is archaeologically referred to as a "Venus" figure, and due to its exaggerated female features, it is often considered a representation of a fertility goddess, namely the Earth Mother.

Ancient Egyptian Art

Ancient Egypt, Ancient Babylon, Ancient India, and China
are collectively referred to as the four great ancient civilizations, a term that is widely recognized internationally for the four major ancient civilizations of the world. The phrase "four great ancient civilizations" originated from European historians, who began to list China as one of the "four great ancient civilization origins" in the 19th century.

Characteristics of Painting

Upper body front view, face side view, legs side view, legs standing at 90 degrees.

Ancient Egyptian paintings simultaneously display both frontal and profile views of people or animals. For example, the head is shown in profile while the body is depicted from the front. The colors used primarily include red, blue, green, gold, black, and yellow.

During the New Kingdom
and later periods, the Book of the Dead
was buried with individuals to introduce them to the afterlife.

It refers to a segment of ancient Egyptian funerary texts
that were used from the New Kingdom
(around 1550 BC) to about 50 BC [1]
. The original Egyptian
name in Latin transcription is "rw nw prt m hrw" [2]
, meaning "Book of the Coming Forth by Day" [3]
, or "Book of Light." This text contains spells that assist the deceased in navigating the realm of the dead Duat
to reach the afterlife. The Book of the Dead of ancient Egyptians was almost unique for each individual, as the content described varied from person to person, with some passages written according to their life experiences. Ancient Egyptians believed that if they were "innocent," they could enjoy happiness in the afterlife in the paradise of Osiris. One passage in the Book of the Dead is meant to prove one's innocence. The method of judging the deceased's guilt was to weigh the heart against the feather of Ma'at; if the heart was lighter than the feather, the person was deemed innocent.

Anubis is a god in Egyptian mythology associated with mummification and the afterlife, depicted as a jackal-headed deity. Anubis is actually a name derived from Ancient Greek, and his titles are mostly related to his role as a funerary god.

God of the dead, god of mummification, god of tombs.

Sculpture

Mummification was intended to ensure the immortality of the soul.

The monumental sculptures of ancient Egyptian temples are world-renowned, while the number of exquisite small works is even greater. The ancient Egyptians used relief techniques to create clear outlines under sunlight. A characteristic of the sculptures is that the standing posture of figures is often with one foot in front of the other, which contributes to the strength and balance of the sculpture. Another common posture is sitting.

Ancient Egyptian pharaohs frequently appear in sculptures and were considered divine, while other gods were less commonly depicted in large sculptures and appeared more often in paintings. For example, the four statues of Ramesses II outside the Abu Simbel Temple are quite famous. The vast majority of sculptures have survived in Egyptian temples or tombs, with many statues built in the likeness of gods, pharaohs, and their queens. The Great Sphinx is an early work, and no similar works have been created since.

Early tombs also contained small models of slaves, animals, buildings, and boats, intended to provide comfort to the deceased in the afterlife. However, these wooden sculptures have mostly decayed, and some may have been used as fuel. More valuable sculptures were made from alabaster, while the most common were made from wood.

Tutankhamun

He died at the age of 19, originally named Tutankhaten, later changed to Tutankhamun, indicating his shift in worship from the god Aten to the god Amun.

On the walls of Tutankhamun's tomb, there is an inscription: "I have seen yesterday; I know tomorrow."

The Great Sphinx

It is a statue located next to the Pyramid of Khafre, featuring the body of a lion and the head of a human.

The Great Sphinx is believed to be the oldest known monumental statue, generally thought to have been constructed during the reign of Pharaoh Khafre (circa 2558–2532 BC).

The Missing Nose and Beard

The Arab historian Al-Maqrizi
attributed the loss of the Sphinx's nose to the destruction by the Sufi Muslim Sa'im al-Dahr from the khanqah (a type of religious school). In 1378, after discovering that local farmers were offering sacrifices to the Sphinx for a good harvest, he became particularly enraged and decided to destroy the Sphinx's nose. Ultimately, Sa'im al-Dahr was executed for destruction.

A popular legend claims that the Sphinx's nose was shot off by cannon fire from Napoleon and his army. Other similar legends suggest it was the actions of the British Mamluks or others. However, this occurred before the time of Napoleon.

Architecture

Ancient Egyptian building materials included sun-dried or kiln-baked bricks, sandstone, limestone, and granite. The joining of stones required careful calculation, as no mortar or plaster was used. Ramps were employed in the construction of pyramids.

It has been discovered that the southern ventilation shaft of the Great Pyramid of Khufu aligns with the star Sirius at certain times, which was the most revered celestial object by the ancient Egyptians.

1. Entrance 2. Tomb raiders' tunnel 3. Ascending passage 4. Descending passage 5. Half-finished basement 6. Ascending passage 7. Queen's chamber 8. Horizontal passage 9. Grand gallery 10. King's chamber 11. Central chamber 12. Exit

Ancient Greek Art

The development of ancient Greek art is closely related to the history and social development of ancient Greece, generally divided into four stages:

• Dark Ages (12th century BC - 7th century BC)
• Archaic Period (7th century BC - 6th century BC)
• Classical Period (5th century BC - 4th century BC)
• Hellenistic Period (late 4th century BC - 1st century BC)

At the end of the Homeric period, Greek art was influenced by the art of the Eastern world, a period also referred to as the Orientalizing period. The Classical period is regarded as the peak of the development of ancient Greek art.

The Dark Ages, also known as the Homeric Age (based on the Homeric epics).

Refers to the historical period in Greek history from the fall of the Mycenaean civilization in the 11th century BC to the establishment of the first city-state in the 9th century BC, which is also the era of the Homeric epics.

Archaeological evidence shows that after 1200 BC, the Eastern Mediterranean Bronze Age civilizations experienced a collapse
, with palaces and cities destroyed and abandoned. The surrounding Hittite Empire also fell during this time, with cities from Troy to Gaza
being destroyed. After this collapse, settlements became smaller and fewer, indicating experiences of famine and population decline. In Greece, the Linear B used by Mycenaean nobility also disappeared.

During this period, the decorative motifs on ancient Greek pottery lost the vivid imagery of the Mycenaean period, replaced by simple geometric patterns (1000 BC - 700 BC).

Geometric-style barn-shaped pottery.

Archaic Period

In the 7th century BC, ancient Greek society further developed, and ancient Greek art progressed accordingly. In the early Archaic period, the frequent exchanges between ancient Greece and the Eastern world greatly influenced the art of this period, while in the later Archaic period, ancient Greek art gradually formed its own style.

In sculpture, to express the inner emotions of figures, a smiling posture was often adopted, known as the "Archaic smile." At the same time, ancient Greek sculptors made significant advancements in realistic techniques. In vase painting, the black-figure style and red-figure style emerged successively.

Dionysus on a sailboat.

When the god of wine wandered the earth and preached, most places welcomed his arrival, but there were also those who did not recognize his divine authority or did not know the true god. Once, when Dionysus arrived at the Delian Sea (a bay of the Mediterranean), the pirates did not realize that this young man was the god of wine. They excitedly captured him and brought him aboard their ship, thinking they could sell him for a good price.

However, they soon realized something was wrong; the iron chains used to bind Dionysus fell off by themselves, and after the ship sailed for a while, the air suddenly filled with the rich aroma of wine, and grapevines grew on the ship's mast, laden with ripe grapes. They finally understood that this handsome young man was not a mortal, but it was too late; they had offended the god of wine. Dionysus transformed into a fierce lion, charging forward and tearing the captain to pieces. The other pirates, terrified by this scene, jumped overboard to escape, but they were all transformed into dolphins by Dionysus, which is said to be the origin of dolphins...

Classical Period

Greece entered its peak after the Persian Wars, until it was conquered by the Macedonians.

The early Classical art still bore traces of the Archaic period, hence it is also referred to as the transitional period.

In the mid-Classical period, especially in Athens, due to the accumulation of wealth from the Delian League, combined with trade in the Aegean Sea and the reforms of Pericles, Athenian society reached its peak. These objective conditions supported the flourishing of art during this period. The completion of a series of buildings transformed Athens into a beautiful city, and many other cities in Greece also constructed their own unique buildings.

In the late Classical period, due to a series of impacts from wars, the Greek world began to decline, and the center of art gradually shifted to the Peloponnese and the coast of Asia Minor. By the end of the 4th century, the Macedonians took the opportunity to invade and conquer Greece. The Classical era came to an end.

The Discobolus (Greek：Δισκοβόλος, Latin transcription: Diskobólos), is an ancient Greek sculpture work, representing the sculptor Myron's masterpiece, completed at the end of the Archaic period. The original work has been lost, but it is widely known through numerous Roman bronze copies.

The work depicts the moment when the discus is at its highest point, about to be thrown, conveying a strong sense of motion and perfectly showcasing the human form and the dynamics of the moment.

Hellenistic Period

After the Macedonians conquered Greece, they went on to conquer the Persian Empire, establishing the Empire of Alexander. Although this empire existed for a short time, many Hellenistic kingdoms that succeeded it continued to exist in the Eastern world for several centuries. The Hellenistic period refers to the time from the Macedonian conquest of Greece to the conquest of Egypt's Ptolemaic dynasty by the Romans, roughly from the late 4th century BC to the mid-1st century BC. During this period, ancient civilizations in the East and ancient Greek art interacted and influenced each other. Art shifted from serving public society to serving the nobility.

Laocoön and His Sons

This is a famous marble statue currently housed in the Vatican Museums, depicting the scene of the Trojan priest Laocoön and his sons being entwined and killed by sea serpents.

The story of Laocoön was the theme of a lost play by Sophocles and has also been mentioned by other ancient Greek authors. Laocoön, to demonstrate that the Trojan Horse was a trick, thrust a spear at the horse, which unexpectedly led to his demise. The serpents were sent by Athena, the sun god Apollo, or the sea god Poseidon [1]. Laocoön's death led the Trojans to believe that the horse was a sacred offering for sacrifice. The most famous description of this event can be found in Virgil's Aeneid, but it was likely written after the statue was completed.

The sculpture of Laocoön is based on the Greek myth of the "Trojan Horse" legend. The Greeks besieged the city of Troy for ten years without success, and later built a large wooden horse, pretending to retreat, while Greek soldiers hid inside the horse. The Trojans
thought the Greeks had left and brought the horse into the city as a gift to Athena. The Trojan priest Laocoön, who recognized the Greek army's trick, warned the Trojans not to bring the horse, which contained hidden soldiers, into the city. In anger, Laocoön threw a spear at the horse, angering Athena, who secretly aided the Greeks. Consequently, Athena sent two giant serpents to entangle Laocoön's two sons, Antiphantes and Thymbraeus. Laocoön was bitten by the serpents while trying to save his sons, and upon witnessing Laocoön's death, the Trojans believed that his earlier warning had angered the gods, leading them to more firmly believe in the necessity of bringing the horse into the city, resulting in a disastrous outcome. The sculptor expressed this tragic scene through the sculpture.

AI Era

The famous art educator Ronfield once said, "In art education, art is merely a means to achieve a goal, not a goal itself." Although this statement pertains to art education, it can be broadly applied—when we discuss art, what we care about is ultimately the "method" or the "goal"?

Space Opera

In this year's art competition in Colorado, USA, 39-year-old game designer Jason Allen's work "Space Opera" won the top prize in the digital category. This painting was completed by Allen using the AI drawing tool Midjourney, which has drawn criticism from many human artists.

• "Tom Cruise, watercolour, in the style of Vincent van Gogh"
• "Cat sitting on a chair, melancholic, photography, film noir, bokeh"

What AI Can Do

AI painting can be used for many different applications and purposes, here are some examples:

1. Artistic Creation: AI painting can assist artists in creating artworks, including generating sketches, concepts, and color drafts.

2. Digital Entertainment: AI painting can be used to develop digital entertainment content such as games, animations, and films, creating more vivid, expressive, and artistic characters, scenes, and objects.

3. Education and Training: AI painting can be used to develop educational and training content, helping students learn painting techniques, understand art history, and appreciate artworks.

4. Commercialization of Art: AI painting can be used to generate commercial artworks, including digital copyrights, digital collectibles, and art reproductions.

5. Industrial Design: AI painting can assist industrial designers in product design, rendering, and presentation, helping them better express and realize their design intentions.

6. Virtual Reality Technology: AI painting technology can be combined with virtual reality technology to create more vivid and immersive artworks by painting in virtual reality spaces.

7. 3D Printing Technology: AI painting technology can be combined with 3D printing technology to print objects with complex structures and artistic effects using AI-generated 3D models.

8. Natural Language Processing Technology: AI painting technology can be combined with natural language processing technology to describe the characteristics and details of artworks using natural language, thereby generating paintings that better align with human aesthetics.

9. Visual Recognition Technology: AI painting technology can be combined with visual recognition technology to analyze and recognize objects and scenes in images using computer vision technology, resulting in more realistic and accurate paintings.

AI painting technology has been widely applied in various fields, including digital art, gaming, film production, and advertising design.

In the field of digital art, AI painting technology can help artists quickly create artworks, improving creative efficiency. In game development, AI painting technology can be used to generate game scenes, characters, props, etc., thereby enhancing the efficiency of game development.

In film production, AI painting technology can be used to create special effects, providing more realistic visual effects for movies and TV shows.

In advertising design, AI painting technology can be used to create various types of advertising images, providing companies with more attractive advertising visuals.