Ancient Inspiration

Even today, artists around the world find inspiration in art that was produced thousands of years ago. The art we call “ancient art" refers to art produced by ancient societies that used writing in some form, from around 5000 BC to 300 AD. This differs from prehistoric art, which refers to art produced by pre-literate societies. Ancient art spans many geographical areas, including those that are now China, Egypt, Greece and Japan. 

Ancient art is considered by most art historians as the beginning of art history. This is because during this period art began to play an important role in society, being used to enforce political and religious ideologies. An example of this is the art of ancient Egypt, which used text (hieroglyphs) to communicate stories and information about rulers and gods.

The techniques, formal qualities and subjects of ancient art continue to bear influence on art today. Artsper has curated a selection of artists that draw inspiration from the rich history of ancient art, whether the civilizations of ancient Greece, or those of Japan. Join us and take a journey to the ancient past, with artists such as Marko Grgat and Didier Fournier!