01about 21,000 years ago
Animal Images in the Cave
- Animal imagery survives from about 21,000 years ago.
- Close observation and colour already form a visual language.
- Purpose may vary; this is not claimed as the first art.
LOOK & LEARN / ART CULTURES
Understand art.
Explore its cultural roots.
Explore parallel art traditions, from cave images and ink to perspective and street practice.
ImagesVisual pathsShort points
01 / PARALLEL PATHS
How art evolves.
More than one path.
- Cultures and styles can coexist; this is not a ranking of progress.
- Connections guide reading; they do not claim direct lineage for all traditions.
02 / SIX VISUAL STORIES
Six visual stories.
See the ideas through images.
02Late Tang to Yuan dynasty (c. 9th–14th century)
Chinese and East Asian Ink Traditions
- By the late Tang, landscape was an independent genre; nature also conveyed ideas.
- Song literati used calligraphic brushwork on bamboo and rocks to express cultivation.
- Yuan mind-landscapes emphasized brushwork and inner spirit, not just observed scenery.
0315th–16th centuries
European Renaissance Painting
- Perspective made a flat picture suggest three-dimensional space.
- Linear perspective makes parallel lines recede toward a vanishing point.
- The Last Supper uses posture and expression to depict human emotion.
Photographic reproduction of a public-domain artworkView image source ↗
0419th–20th centuries
Experiments in Modern Painting
- Impressionists used plein-air brushwork to capture fleeting sunlight and color.
- Post-Impressionists developed personal approaches to color and form.
- Twentieth-century abstraction may omit recognizable objects.
05Late 1960s to mid-1980s
Origins and Development of Modern Graffiti
- Modern name-based tagging emerged in the late 1960s.
- Philadelphia and New York are key contexts; origins remain debated.
- New York lettering and subway writing developed in the 1970s.
Teaching / artwork reference from supplied materialsView image source ↗
06Late 20th century–present
Contemporary Street Art and Global Culture
- Stencils and murals join conversations in public space.
- Graffiti and street art overlap, but are not identical.
- Hong Kong street imagery also expresses community experience.
Teaching / artwork reference from supplied materialsView image source ↗
PAINTERS & WORKS / HISTORICAL · MODERN · CONTEMPORARY
Meet a painter.
Explore a visual language.
Original works, portraits and real photographs are labelled separately, with two points per artist.
European Renaissance
Leonardo da Vinci
- Linear perspective creates space and order.
- Gestures and expressions contribute to the narrative.
Work / referenceThe Last Supper ↗c.1495–1498
Dutch Baroque period
Rembrandt van Rijn
- Dutch Baroque: historical subjects and light.
- The Night Watch depicts a civic-guard assembly.
Work / referenceThe Night Watch ↗1642
Impressionism / modern art
Claude Monet
- Captured fleeting changes in natural light with bright color.
- The Water Lilies series merges reflections with broad strokes of color.
Work / referenceWater Lilies (Agapanthus) ↗c.1915–1926
Post-Impressionism
Vincent van Gogh
- The Starry Night renders the sky and stars with swirling short strokes.
- Vivid blues and yellows, with thick paint, blend observation and imagination.
Work / referenceThe Starry Night ↗June 1889
Contemporary
Yayoi Kusama
- Painted monochrome nets of repeated arcs without a beginning or end.
- Extended dots and net motifs into immersive installations such as mirror rooms.
Work / referenceNo. 2. J.B. ↗
Contemporary
David Hockney
- Uses vivid colour to depict everyday people and places
- Uses photographic observation to capture fleeting scenes
Work / referenceA Bigger Splash ↗1967
Sources & image notes
Leonardo da Vinci
Rembrandt van Rijn
Claude Monet
David Hockney
03 / STREET ROOTS
From a signature.
To many street languages.
- Earlier wall imagery is not equated with the direct origin of modern graffiti.
- Forms and media overlap; not every artist follows the same progression.
EARLY WRITERS / EARLY TAGGING
See the name.
See the city and its time.
Early writers provide context; origins are not assigned to one undisputed individual.
1960s Philadelphia
Cornbread（Darryl McCray）
- He began writing the Cornbread name at a youth center in 1965.
- His citywide tagging became an important reference in Philadelphia graffiti history.
Work / referenceCornbread Loves Cynthia (tagging campaign described in historical sources) ↗c.1960s; individual artwork dates unconfirmed
New York, late 1960s–around 1971
TAKI 183
- His tag appeared across New York public spaces.
- A 1971 New York Times article brought public discussion.
Work / referenceTAKI 183 tag ↗Date unspecified
Sources & image notes
STREET VOICES / ARTISTS · CREWS · PROJECTS
From early names.
To contemporary street voices.
A diverse reference selection, not a live popularity ranking. Follow the links for official works.
01 / ARTIST
Banksy
Public spaces
- Stencil imagery often conveys political satire.
- Works address authority, surveillance, and resistance.
- Animals and police figures recur in the imagery.
What to noticeNotice how silhouettes and contrast focus a theme.
View official works / project gallery ↗02 / ARTIST
Lady Pink
New York City (Queens)
- Ecuadorian-American graffiti artist and muralist.
- She began writing graffiti in 1979 and painted New York subway cars.
- Her work addresses issues affecting women and people in U.S. urban environments.
What to noticeLook at how city symbols form a mural.
View official works / project gallery ↗
03 / DUO
OSGEMEOS
São Paulo, Brazil
- Twin brothers from Brazil work collaboratively.
- Vivid colours, yellow figures and elaborate patterns.
- Graffiti and large murals share fantastical imagery.
What to noticeCompare figure outlines and vivid colour blocks.
View official works / project gallery ↗04 / CREW
1UP
Berlin, Germany
- A Berlin graffiti crew; its name expands to One United Power.
- It collaborated with URBAN NATION on large-format murals viewable on the Art Mile.
- The public mural project presents varied artistic signatures and lettering directions.
What to noticeLook at letter placement and overall rhythm.
View official works / project gallery ↗05 / PROJECT
HKwalls
Hong Kong
- A Hong Kong street-art platform and festival.
- Connecting artists, murals and urban spaces.
- Explore artworks and projects on the official website.
What to noticeObserve colour and light in street spaces.
View official works / project gallery ↗06 / PROJECT
Wynwood Walls
Wynwood, Miami, Florida, United States
- Warehouse exteriors became large-scale street-art display surfaces.
- International street artists were invited to paint on the walls.
- The artists page lists contributors to explore by name.
What to noticeLook at colour blocks and the scale of the wall.
View official works / project gallery ↗Contemporary works and marks belong to their creators. Where usable images are unconfirmed, official gallery links are provided instead of invented works.
Sources & image notes
Lady Pink
1UP
Sources & image notes
Animal Images in the Cave
Chinese and East Asian Ink Traditions
European Renaissance Painting
Experiments in Modern Painting
Origins and Development of Modern Graffiti
This is a simplified guide based on the supplied verified sources, not a definitive or single linear global art chronology.