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Which regions are included in the term Western painting?
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Western painting
Self-Portrait, oil on canvas by Judith Leyster, c. 1630; in the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
In the context of art history, the term Western painting is not limited to a single geographic location. It encompasses painting traditions within Europe as well as regions outside of Europe that share a common European cultural tradition.1
Specifically, the term includes:
- Europe1
- The Middle East and the Mediterranean Basin1
- Countries in North and South America1
This classification reflects a shared heritage rooted in the artistic production of ancient Greece and Rome, which was later influenced by the spread of Christianity and the developments of the Renaissance.12