The art of Europe, or Western art, encompasses the history of visual art in Europe. Before the 1800s, the Christian church was a major influence upon European western european dating sites, the commissions of the Church, architectural, painterly and sculptural, providing the major source of work for artists.

The history of the Church was very much reflected in the history of art, during this period. In the same period of time there was renewed interest in heroes and heroines, tales of mythological gods and goddesses, great wars, and bizarre creatures which were not connected to religion. European art is arranged into a number of stylistic periods, which, historically, overlap each other as different styles flourished in different areas. European prehistoric art is an important part of the European cultural heritage. The oldest European cave art dates back 40,800, and can be found in the El Castillo Cave in Spain. The Rock art of the Iberian Mediterranean Basin represents a very different style, with the human figure the main focus, often seen in large groups, with battles, dancing and hunting all represented, as well as other activities and details such as clothing. Prehistoric Celtic art comes from much of Iron Age Europe and survives mainly in the form of high-status metalwork skillfully decorated with complex, elegant and mostly abstract designs, often using curving and spiral forms.