Rick Steves’ Art of Europe

Mysterious tombs, megaliths and cave paintings emerge from the Stone Age; Egyptians and Greeks lay the foundation of Western art, creating a world of gods, pyramids, temples and lifelike statues.

From its architecture to statues, mosaics and frescos, Rome gave Europe its first taste of a common culture; at its peak, the Roman Empire was a society of luxury.

Europe spends one thousand years in the Middle Ages following the fall of Rome; the High Middle Ages bring castles, Gothic cathedrals and exquisite art.

Around 1400, a rebirth of classical culture shows itself in statues, paintings and architecture of Florence, Italy, then Spain, Holland, Germany and beyond.

In the 1600s and 1700s, Baroque bubbles over in the Catholic south with fancy decoration and emotion, while the Protestant north is more sober; France sees revolution, Napoleon and Neoclassicism.

The Industrial Revolution spawns new artistic styles; the 20th century inspires expressionism, cubism, surrealism and abstract; artists like Van Gogh, Picasso and Dali express the complexity of the modern world.