Vincent van Gogh, Henri Matisse, and Joan Miró were all connected as artists through their use of color and experimentation with forms. Nonetheless, each artist developed his own unique style that largely stood apart from other artists. Van Gogh's postimpressionistic style built on impressionism, while Matisse and Miro's deconstruction of form and representation exploded many of impressionism's notions of art.

Frederic Remington was a native New Yorker who began his career as a painter and illustrator for magazines after the Civil War. After going on assignment to illustrate a magazine article on the Apache leader Geronimo in 1886, Remington began to paint and sculpt images of the American West exclusively. Remington's style was naturalistic and empathetic to his subjects, and also had a natural ability to capture accurate movement. Remington's images of the Old West are some of the most famous images of cowboys and Native Americans.

Gustave Courbet (1819-1877) was a French painter who reacted to the previous generation's bold romanticism and his contemporary critics' love of history painting by developing what he termed "realism." Courbet wished to use his painting to comment on social issues and values, which he felt were valuable topics on which a painter might focus. Courbet sought out landscapes, portraits, and still lifes that depicted the everyday in rough, honest brushstrokes.

Delacroix was a famous nineteenth-century painter known for his orientalist paintings, which illustrated Middle Eastern culture and lifestyle to a Western audience.

The Barbizon School was a group of painters led by Théodore Rousseau from 1830 to 1860. They painted many nature scenes, landscapes, and scenes of rural peasant life in France. They influenced American landscape painters and the Impressionists.

Based in France and the United States, Realism focused on accurately depicting nature. Landscapes done in a realistic style, and realistic drawings of peasant life are key topics in Realists' work. They were influenced by early photography.

All of the painters listed were influences on the Realist artists. Additional influences included Socialism and the European revolutions of 1848. The Realists eventually influenced the pre-Raphaelites and American Scene Painting.

The Arts and Crafts Movement began for several reasons. The low quality of manufactured items in England in the 1800's caused the reactionary move toward handcrafted, individually made goods. The style is similar to medieval art, influenced by the level of craftsmanship of medieval guilds.

The Impressionists adopted a critic's use of the word "impression" to describe their work. Their focus, particularly in painting, was the use of color to convey light and shadow. They influenced the Post-Impressionists and the Fauves.

Key Post-Impressionists included Cezanne, van Gogh, and Seurat. They were influenced by the Impressionists, and attempted to develop many Impressionist ideas. The Post-Impressionists influenced many art movements, including German Expressionism and Symbolism.