Reference
Art Glossary
A comprehensive glossary of art movements, styles, and terms. 10 terms covering everything from Impressionism to Bauhaus.
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Abstract Expressionism
A post-WWII American art movement defined by large-scale abstract paintings emphasizing spontaneous, gestural mark-making and the direct expression of emotional or psychological states.
Art Nouveau
A decorative art movement of the 1890s-1910s characterized by organic, flowing lines inspired by natural forms -- plants, flowers, and the female figure -- applied across architecture, furniture, jewelry, and graphic art.
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Surrealism
A 20th-century literary and visual art movement that explored the unconscious mind, dreams, and irrational imagery as a means of liberation from rational constraint.
Symbolism
A late 19th-century art and literary movement that used symbolic imagery, myth, and spiritual or psychological content to express ideas that lay beyond the reach of realism or direct description.