Introduction
The 20th century was an era of revolution in painting, sculpture and music. Artists embraced novelty, the avant-garde and the abstract to define and shape a cultural canon for the better part of a century. This list unveils the ten most influential 20th-century art movements, which altered the landscape of the art world forever.
1. Cubism (Early 1900s)
It was pioneered by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, and radically advanced the possibility of narrative representation by showing subjects simultaneously from multiple points of view. Cubism in the hands of Picasso and Braque, and abstract art more generally, brought a largely urban worldview.
Sources: Tate on Cubism
- Image: Les Demoiselles d’Avignon
- Credit: Pablo Picasso, “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon,” 1907. Public domain.
- Source: Wikipedia
2. Futurism (1909-1944)
Futurism, which sprang from Italy, glorified technology, speed and modernity, as exemplified by artists such as Umberto Boccioni, who sought to capture the dynamism of the 20th century.
Sources: The Art Story on Futurism
- Image: Umberto Boccioni, Unique Forms of Continuity in Space 1913
- Credit: The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
- Source: MoMA
3. Dada (1916-1924)
Dada arose out of the fighting of the First World War as a vehemently anti-war, anti-art movement, where elaborately absurd and often satirical works were created to describe the unbelievable horror of the times in which they lived and the devastating impact of their experiences on the world – many of these artists fought in the war. Marcel Duchamp was a famous artist within the Dada circle and is pictured here.
Sources: MoMA on Dada
- Image: Hugo Ball performing “Karawane”, 1916
- Credit: The Art Story
- Source: The Art Story on Hugo Ball
4. Surrealism (1920s-1950s)
Surrealism, spearheaded by André Breton, aimed to liberate the unconscious and present the viewer with dreamlike scenes: Salvador Dalí and René Magritte were prominent figures.
Sources: The Art Story on Surrealism
- Image: Salvador Dalí, The Persistence of Memory, 1931
- Credit: Salvador Dalí, Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
- Source: Wikipedia
5. Abstract Expressionism (1940s-1950s)
This typically American movement emphasized forms of creation that were spontaneous or automatic or ‘subconscious’. Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko are among the artists who pioneered the styles and emotional impact of these techniques.
Sources: Metropolitan Museum of Art on Abstract Expressionism
- Image: Jackson Pollock, Number 5, 1948
- Credit: Jackson Pollock
- Source: Jackson Pollock.org
6. Pop Art (1950s-1960s)
Pop Art, in reaction to the snobbery of fine art, took its subject matter from the imagery of popular culture and mass media (such as comic strips). Figures such as Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein are among its best-known practitioners.
Sources: Tate on Pop Art
- Image: Andy Warhol, Marilyn Diptych, 1962
- Credit: © 2024 The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. / Licensed by DACS, London
- Source: Tate
7. Minimalism (1960s-1970s)
Minimalism was a deeply personal preoccupation with ‘mindless simplification’ and a dry objectivity that reduced art to its bare essence. Donald Judd, Agnes Martin.
Sources: The Art Story on Minimalism
- Image: Donald Judd, Untitled, 1969
- Credit: The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
- Source: MoMA
8. Conceptual Art (1960s-1970s)
An extremely influential version was promoted by Conceptual Art, which focused on ideas rather than visual form: for artists such as Sol LeWitt and Joseph Kosuth, a description of an artwork, or a sentence, or even just the idea – a statement – was arguably the work itself, rather than the object the visitor could see.
Sources: MoMA on Conceptual Art
- Image: Sol LeWitt, Wall Drawing 1: Drawing Series II 18 (A & B), October 1968
- Credit: The Doris and Donald Fisher Collection at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA)
- Source: SFMOMA
9. Street Art (1980s-Present)
Street Art, as exemplified by artists such as Banksy and Jean-Michel Basquiat, moves art off the canvas and into public spaces, frequently being used to connect with social or political issues, and has begun to transform the landscapes of cities around the world.
Sources: BBC on Street Art
- Image: Banksy, Girl with Balloon, 2002
- Credit: Banksy
- Source: Wikipedia
10. Digital Art (1990s-Present)
Digital Art employs digital technology as a medium, from computer-generated imagery to interactive environments. This movement is ongoing and is constantly evolving with the innovations of digital technology.
Sources: Tate on Digital Art
Image: Beeple (Mike Winkelmann), Everydays: the First 5000 Days, 2021
Credit: Beeple
Source: Wikipedia
Conclusion
From Cubism to Neo-Expressionism to Neo-Pop, these 10 art movements do not only highlight artistic modes and developments in the visual arts but have facilitated broader, cultural and sociological tendencies, trends and patterns that shape our very existence. By understanding these movements we can appreciate more acutely how artists create, interpret and advance our world.