Artistic movements are names given to certain artistic styles produced in certain periods by artists who share ideals, styles, and artistic methods or approaches. Some of these artistic movements are named later, long after the “movement” took place, such as the Renaissance or the Baroque, while others are named after the artists themselves when a group is formed, such as Futurism or Surrealism, and some are named accidentally or pejoratively by critics—such as Impressionism and Cubism. Some movements include artists who share and discuss their principles, such as Dadaism and De Stijl, while others have little in common, being simply labeled so that their artistic practices can be understood by future generations—for example, in the case of Post-Impressionism. These movements mainly concern Western art.

One thing that all art movements have in common is that they happen over a specific period of time, whether it's months, years, or many years. So, an artist today might paint in a Rococo style, for example, but wouldn't be part of the Rococo movement, since that period is over. Since the 20th century, there have been more artistic movements and more rapid changes among them than in any other period in history. Many of the most recent movements are not even clearly defined; this will happen with the passage of time. Most movements begin when certain avant-garde artists break with accepted “rules” or traditions and create something markedly different from the art produced up to that point. Some art movements deliberately form in reaction to a recent movement, such as Pop Art in the United States in the 1960s in response to Abstract Expressionism; Others are intended to reflect earlier artistic periods, such as the early Baroque, which reflected the High Renaissance, or how many 19th-century artists followed medieval examples. The following pages explain several of the most important artistic movements, in chronological order, including prehistoric, ancient Greek, and medieval art.