French art has one of the oldest histories in the world. The oldest known works of French art are the cave paintings, which were drawn by ancient peoples who inhabited the region where modern day France is located during the Paleolithic period. Examples of this type of French art can be found at Pech Merle, a cave which is located in the region of Midi-Pyrenees in France, and has become an archeological site. Other examples of this early French art include the Cosquer Cave, the Trois-Freres cave, the Chauvet Cave and the artistic expressions at Mask of La Roche-Cotard.

During later periods, French art had shifted from the walls of caves to the stones found in open areas. There are several types of figures painted on the stones, which historians believe to be of the Neolithic period. During the Neolithic, stones were carved in different shapes and weapons were also made from stones. As centuries passed and the region of Gaul (of which modern France is a part) came under the control of Romans, new dimensions in art thrived. The Romans created magnificent works of art throughout the reign of their empire because they had a passion for aesthetics. Sites like the Arena of Paris, the Roman Baths and the Amphitheater in the department of Vaucluse are examples of French art during the Roman era.

French art had seen several developments over the years and was influenced by the cultures of the various dynasties that ruled the region of France from time to time. One of the important periods in the history of French art was French Renaissance, when world famous artists like Leonardo da Vince and others were invited to France in order to exhibit and teach their artistic skills`. At this time, several forms of art were created with Italian flair, which could be seen in paintings and sculptures of those times.

French art in the twentieth century had several new media. Some of these include: Graffiti, which was introduced by Ben Vautier, modern sculptures created by Cesar Baldaccini and character paintings by Yves Klein. Paintings consisting of optical illusions created by Victor Vasarely are also a form of modern visual art. The introduction of artistic plastic sculptures was done by Niki de Saint Phalle, which was indeed a new form of French art.