Modern and contemporary art is a vast and ever-evolving field that encompasses the major artistic developments of the last two centuries. The term "modern art" typically refers to art created between the late 19th century and the mid-20th century, a period marked by radical shifts in artistic approaches and a break from traditional forms and techniques. "Contemporary art" refers to art created from the mid-20th century onward, reflecting the rapid changes in society, technology, and global interconnectedness.

At the core of modern and contemporary art is the desire to challenge the norms of the past and redefine what art can be. Beginning in the late 1800s, artists like Claude Monet and Vincent van Gogh introduced new ways of seeing the world through Impressionism and Post-Impressionism. These movements rejected the strict realism of earlier periods and embraced the subjective nature of perception, capturing the world in ways that were more emotional, personal, and experimental. As industrialization and urbanization swept across Europe and the Americas, artists responded by questioning traditional aesthetics and exploring new mediums, techniques, and forms.

The early 20th century saw the emergence of the avant-garde, a group of artists determined to push the boundaries of what was considered acceptable in art. Movements such as Fauvism, Cubism, Dadaism, and Surrealism radically changed the relationship between art and reality. Artists like Pablo Picasso, Marcel Duchamp, and Salvador Dalí began to explore abstraction, the subconscious, and new ways of expressing the complexities of the modern world.