Unit 1 ArtReadingA SHORT HISTORY OF WESTERN PAINTINGThe style of Western art has changed many times,while Chines art has changed less often.Art is influenced by the way of life and beliefs of the people,and China,unlike Europe,has followed a similar way of life for a very long time.There are so many different styles of Western art that it would be impossible to describe all of them in a short text.Consequently,this text will describe only a few of the main styles,starting from the 5th century AD.The Middle Ages (5th to 15th century AD)During the Middle Ages,the main aim of painters was to represent religious themes,Artists were not interested in showing nature and people as they really were.Instead,they were interested in creating respect and love for God,and paintings from this period are full of religious symbols.Things had begun to change by the 13th century when painters like Giotto di Bondone began to paint religious scenes in a more realistic style.The Renaissance(15th 16th century)In the Renaissance,new ideas and values took the place of those that were held in the Middle Ages.people became focused more on humans and less on religion.Painters returned to classical Roman and Greek ideas about art.They tried to paint people and nature as they really were.Rich people wanted to collect art for their palaces and great houses.They paid famous artists to paint pictures of themselves,their houses and other possessions,as well as their activities and achievements.One of the most important discoveries during this period was how to draw things in perspective.The first person to use perspective in his paintings was Masaccio in 1428.When people first saw his paintings they were convinced they were looking through a hole in the wall at a real scene.If the rules of perspective had not been discovered,people would not have been able to paint such realistic pictures.During the Renaissance oil paints were also developed,which made colours look richer and deeper.Impressionism(late 19th to early 20th century)In the late 19th century,Europe changed a great deal,from a mostly agricultural society to a mostly industrial one.Many people moved from the country to the new cities.There were many new inventions and many social changes.Naturally,these changes also led to changes in painting styles.Among the painters who broke away from the traditional style of painting were the impressionists who lived and worked in paris.The impressionists were the first artists to paint outdoors.They wanted to show how light and shadow fell on objects at different times of the day.Because natural light changes so quickly,the impressionists had to paint quickly.Their paintings were not as detailed as those of earlier painters.At first,most people hated this new style of painting and became very angry about it.They said the painters were careless and their paintings were ridiculous.Modern art(20th century to today)At the time they were created,the impressionistspaintings were controversial but today they are accepted as the beginning of what we now call“moderm art”.Nowadays,there are scores of modern art styles,but without the impressionists many of these painting styles would not exist.The impressionists helped artists to look at their environment and art in new ways.some moderm art is abstract;that is,the painter does not attempt to paint objects as we see them with our eyes,but instead concentrates on certain qualities of the object,using colour,line and shape to represent them.On the other hand,some modern art is so realistic,it looks almost like a photograph.It is interesting to predict what styles of painting there will be in the future.Unit 1 ArtReadingTHE BEST OF MANHATTANS ART GALLERIESThe Frick Collection5th and Madison AvenuesMany art lovers consider this to be the best small art gallery in New York.Henry Clay Frick,a rich New Yorker,died in 1919,leaving his house,furniture and art collection to the American people.At this gallery,you will not anly see an excellent collection of pre-twentieth century western paintings but you will also be able to explore Fricks beautiful house.The garden of this lovely mansion is also well worth a visit.Guggenheim Museum5th Avenue and 88th streetThis museum owns 5,000 modern paintings,sculptures and drawings.These art works are not all displayed at the same time.The exhibition is always changing.The largest part of the collection is the impressionist and post-impressionist section.The Guggenheim Museum building is world famous.When you walk into the gallery you feel like you are inside a huge white sea shell.The best way to see the paintings is to start from the top floor and walk down to the bottom.There are no stairs,just a circular path.The museum also has an excellent restaurant.Me tropolitan Museum of Art5th Avenue and 82nd StreetThis museum has the greatest collection of art in the United States.Its art collection covers more than 5,000