Middle Ages
During the Middle Ages, European artists painted in a way that emphasized religious images and symbolism rather than realism. Most paintings depicted scenes holy figures and people important in the Christian religion. Painting and sculpture of the Middle Ages in Europe and parts of the Middle East, dating roughly from the 3rd century to the emergence of the Renaissance in Italy in the 1400s. This includes early Christian, Byzantine, Celtic, Anglo-Saxon, and Carolingian art. Even the most talented painters of the Middle Ages paid little attention to making humans and animals look lifelike, creating natural looking landscapes, or creating a sense of depth and space in their paintings.
Painting as an art form during the Middle Ages encompassed a broad range of mediums including stained glass, illuminated manuscripts, murals and frescos, as well as panel paintings. During the early Middle Ages, most paintings were found in the form of illustrated manuscripts. This remained the chief form of painting for years. Most were produced in monasteries, which at the time were the centers of learning and art. It was the wealth of the church which allowed monks to copy books and manuscripts before the invention of the printing press in the late 1400's. Prior to the rise of the Gothic style, the prevalent form of painting was manuscript illumination. During the first half of the thirteenth century, the great Gothic cathedrals demanded artistic attention and stained glass painting achieved dominance.
Sculpture in the later Middle Ages was used to decorate churches. In the Early Middle Ages sculpture was banned from churches for fear it would be confused with pagan worship.