The Modern Art era began in the 1890s. Even after the rise of Postmodernism in the 1940s, some artists continued to work with Modern styles and ideals. Modern artists experienced freedom to explore new techniques and sought the ideals of the good, the true and the beautiful.
History
Modernism resulted from a gradual change in art patronage. During the Renaissance, the middle class rose and increased in wealth while the church began to experience loss of power. Guilds and lay people began to purchase art. This trend progressed over the next few centuries, freeing artists to work with secular subject matter.
Time Frame
The time frame for Modernism inspires debate among scholars. While most agree that Modern Art rose in the 1890s, disagreeing historians date the end of the era anywhere from the 1940s to the 1970s.
Misconceptions
The term "modern art" gets misused when people generically reference any newer, abstract artwork. While Abstract Expressionism, Fauvism, and Cubism--three of many Modern Art movements--did give birth to abstract art, not all abstract art is Modern. A better term for artwork that postdates the Modern period is "contemporary".
Geography
Modernism took hold in both Europe and the United States. Artists in Spain, Germany, Austria and Hungary contributed significant developments, as well as many in New York.
Types
The Modern era included many different movements, among them Cubism, Symbolism, Fauvism, Expressionism, Abstract Expressionism, Art Nouveau and the Avant Garde. While drastically varying in style, these movements shared the quest of seeking a new way of viewing reality.
