Universal Principles of Art

86 STYLE AND STYLISHNESS

GROUPING ART ACCORDING TO MANNER AND LOOK

In the art world, “style” essentially means “in the manner of,” and applies to the characteristic look and feel of the work of a particular artist or era. For instance, we talk about “Louis XVI style,” meaning the look and feel of that monarch’s era. Or we can talk about the style of Rembrandt, meaning the look and feel of that master’s work. Some styles are not attached to any one artist but refer to a vein of art making that runs through an era. Art historians sometimes like to organize the history of art into distinct movements, each of which exhibits a particular style or group of styles. Thus, we can talk about the style of Mannerist painting or Baroque painting or Romantic ...