LONDON.- It's one of the things that set humans apart from animals—the ability to create and appreciate art. Since the dawn of time, humans have created artworks, from the ancient prehistoric paintings of cave dwellers in places such as Arcy-sur-Cure in Burgundy to the wry murals of Banksy today.

For many centuries, art was part of religious ritual, the Church being the prime mover in employing artists. The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, painted by Michelangelo, is one of hundreds, if not thousands of examples of sacred as opposed to secular art work. Leonardo da Vinci painted The Last Supper and artists such as Rubens and Uccello worked in this vein.

Western art has gone through many different movements since the great Renaissance painters and sculptors, with names such as Rembrandt closely associated with portraiture and Turner and Constable among the many who developed the art of landscape painting.

In the nineteenth century, Impressionism introduced itself to the world through France, with many great artists producing powerful images that many people today hang in their homes in the form of prints. Names such as Monet, Renoir, Degas, Manet, and Cézanne embody the core of the impressionists, paving the way for the uncompromising technique of Vincent van Gogh, perhaps best known for his series of sunflower paintings, also popular subjects for hanging on interior walls at home.

Art in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries
Art constantly evolves and the twentieth century saw movements such as Cubism and Surrealism develop, with Salvador Dali's immensely imaginative surrealist paintings becoming popular to have in the home as copies.

In the last 50 or so years, art has emerged from being the preserve of museums and galleries - and extremely wealthy people - to becoming much more accessible and affordable, as well as being imaginative and often great fun. The rise of Andy Warhol and Pop Art in America led many artists and buyers to think differently about what they could or could not do.

Many artists now create works they think will sell and that people will like rather than creating art for art's sake – Vincent van Gogh produced some 900 paintings and only sold one in his lifetime! Art galleries can be found in every city and town, promoting local artists and helping people to decorate their homes at a price they can afford.

Tranquil landscapes and seascapes are popular themes for rooms, and they can be complemented by imaginative decoration of walls and strategic placing of furniture to enhance the sense of pleasure derived from viewing art.

One way of creating original art in the home is by livening up what might otherwise be drab shutters with some colorful designs, bringing color to a room, or even using old shutters on a wall to hang pictures from.

Many people also enjoy putting up figurative work, not just in the bedroom but also in spaces where others can see it and be stimulated into a discussion.

Art is universal, and the home is an ideal place to display a great range of human imagination.