Why do we rarely see ultra-realistic paintings from ancient/medieval times, given the fact that many humans have a natural talent of creating them today with minimal items?

Question

I’m asking because paintings, whether on the wall of a cave, or on generally of a King or Queen in ancient times look quite weird. Not necessarily in a bad way, it has its own cool art style, but they are not realistic or anywhere close.

If human beings have a natural talent, photographic memory or incredible artistic ability today where they can make TikToks of painting ultra realistic art with fire, chalk or charcoal etc Why do we almost never see realism in painting/artistic history? I’m talking paintings specifically not sculptures btw

In: Other

Answer 1

Brett devereaux has some discussion on this on art and institutions coming out of the fall of Rome going into the Middle Ages: a lot had to do with the change from hyper realistic art of early empire to what was becoming more stylized art in the late republic to what become hyper dtylized art in the Middle Ages.  Brett comments most college history students skip the art section around the fall of Rome until the carolingian period.  https://acoup.blog/2022/01/14/collections-rome-decline-and-fall-part-i-words/