The history of Western arts is reduced largely to history of European arts from the Middle Ages and the classical Greco-Roman arts; and the beginning of arts history with the civilizations that are considered precedents (Egypt and the Middle East). The artistic manifestations of earlier times in Europe and the Mediterranean basin are very different, because although some are very distant in time and have a great cultural distance (prehistoric arts); other non (reclaimed wood wall art).

Less attention has been given arts productions of other civilizations, and even peripheral areas of Western civilization itself (as colonial America), regardless of considerations that may be of importance compared with that of central areas of western civilization . Such orientation is often accused of Eurocentrism by supporters of a global. Although the concept of arts is modern, it is perfectly usable in architecture, sculpture, painting and antique jewelry, and many of its real achievements arts and not mere utilitarian craft products. The formulation of Western classical aesthetics begins with the Greek and Roman cultures.

The Romans played many of Greek architectural schemes, but also introducing new elements such as the arch, as well as new techniques and materials. In Rome, on the other hand, the civil architecture will be even more important.

Egyptian architecture, strong-willed symbolic and great monuments, first used carved stone, in large blocks with a lintel construction system and solid columns. The most characteristic buildings of religious Egyptian architecture are the "complex of pyramids", temples and tombs (mastabas and hypogea). Few have been preserved remains of civil architecture, it was built with adobe.

Since the fall of Roman Empire, many of arts techniques of ancient Greece were lost, leading to medieval painting to be mostly two dimensional. As there was no notion of perspective in arts, the people portrayed were older or younger painted according to their importance. Along with painting, tapestry was the most important form of medieval arts, considering that the tapestries were necessary to keep the heat inside the castle (built in stone) during winter. The most famous medieval tapestry is the cycle The Lady and the Unicorn.

The Greeks are responsible for a concept of arts that permeate virtually all Western European arts production for over 2000 years. The Greek word for arts, techne, which also means arts or trade, will be associated with the idea of mimesis, which considers that in real world, the arts expression should represent the search for the ideal.

Ideally, for the Greeks, was represented by the perfection of nature, in this way, arts must be perfect. Therefore, according to classical view, arts is an imitation of nature, but is not reduced to a simple portrait of her, but seeks an ideal and universal nature. The search for this universal ideal of nature is, for classical arts, the quest for universal beauty, for nature, being perfect, is beautiful. There is no separation, according to this view, arts, science, mathematics and philosophy: all human knowledge is aimed at the pursuit of perfection.

It should be noted that the people in Middle Ages did not have the habit of reading, and very few had access to writing and could read. Therefore, arts was a way to spread in society the doctrine of Christianity. It is difficult to identify individual arts in this period, except for some foreman in architectural construction, and most of works are by anonymous authors. The Vitruvian Man by Leonardo da Vinci is the symbol of humanistic spirit of Renaissance. The arts of this period A period reflects do arts design features: classicism, reason and symmetry.