Art is constantly evolving. Works and ideas change to reflect and inform the world around us. Sometimes these ideas can be grouped together into a wider movement, with several key artists working with shared ideals and stylistic motivation.
In the 20th century, the evolution of art picked up the pace, responding to improved communication and the greater availability of visual art. How much do you know about these artistic movements? Scroll on for the clues, see if you can guess, then scroll again for the answers...
Question 1
This was one of the earliest major European artistic movements of the century, expressionistic and very colorful! The name was coined at a 1905 Paris exhibition, coming from the French for ‘wild beasts’.
Gone were the soft palettes of the Impressionists, replaced by bold and almost violent statements, flat shapes, and distorted images. Henry Matisse and Georges Rouault were at the centre of the movement. Can you guess? Scroll down for the answer...
Christ and the Children by Georrges RouaultKiyoharu art colony
Answer: Fauvism
Question 2
Inspired by the likes of Van Gogh, this turn-of-the-century movement sought to express emotion and the artist's inner feelings rather representing the world. This was a watershed moment, and one that allowed the evolution of other artistic movements.
Key artists included Edvard Munch and Wassily Kandinsky. Although it started before the 20th century began, its effects very much defined what was to come over the next century. Do you know what it was called? Scroll down to find out...
Romantic Landscape (1911) by Wassily KandinskyStädtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus and Kunstbau
Answer: Expressionism
Question 3
Pioneered by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, this movement fragmented space and form. Places and people are often depicted from several different angles at the same time.
Other works focused on collage. These ideas came as a massive shock to the art world, redefining what beauty meant and how it could be depicted in art. Do you know the name of this movement? Scroll down to reveal...
The Viaduct at L'Estaque (1908) by Georges BraqueTel Aviv Museum of Art
Answer: Cubism
Question 4
The beginning of the 20th century was overshadowed by the horrors of the First World War. One movement aimed to hold a mirror up to the absurdity and futility of warfare, highlighting the absence of greater meaning and the inevitability of luck and chance in life.
Key works included L.H.O.O.Q and the famous Fountain, both by Marcel Duchamp, and Glass Tears by Man Ray. These works and artists challenged the very meaning of art and opened the door to a whole new world of conceptual thinking. Do you know the movement? Scroll down to reveal...
Kiki in Mechanical Ballet, by Fernand Léger (1924) by Man RayOscar Niemeyer Museum
Answer: Dadaism
Question 5
Beginning in the 1950s, this movement responded to the explosion of mass media and advertising. Mass consumption and new media exposed people to an onslaught of images and the artists in this movement wanted to investigate the effects of these changes.
The works were characterised by bold, block colours, hard edges, and cartoonish or comic book representations of reality. Key artists include Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein. Have you guessed it? Scroll on to find out if you're correct...
Better Living Through Windows (2013) by Douglas CouplandVancouver Art Gallery
Answer: Pop Art
How many did you get right? If you're in the mood to discover more about how art has changed through history, use the Google Arts & Culture interactive timeline to Explore By Time
