“History Painting: Painting with themes from or allusions to important historical events, classical literature, and the Bible. From the Renaissance to the 19th century, it was regarded in academies as the highest, most worthwhile kind of painting. Only toward the end of the 18th century did themes from contemporary history become acceptable. Compare NARRATIVE ART.”
Excerpted from: Diamond, David G. The Bulfinch Pocket Dictionary of Art Terms. Boston: Little Brown, 1992.
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