19th-Century Art in Five Movements

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Toward the end of the 18th century, Rococo's gaudy flowers and gold trimmings were rejected. Artists threw out frills in favor of what they saw as simpler and more virtuous traditions.

Over the next 100 years, the art world kept pace with the rapidly changing political climate. From the call of revolution ringing out in America and France to the mechanical transformations of the Industrial Revolution, artists continued to change their styles.

At first, this meant a return to Classical influences.

Later, the time during and after World War I called for a new style of art, which often meant rejecting earlier traditions and styles, and embracing the abstract.

This dramatic transformation was a gamble, and many of the young artists we now consider masters went unrecognized in their lifetimes.

It was an incredible time for art and for the world — an era of cultural and political revolution.