Before I build the interactive art-history timeline, here are three directions. Pick the one that best matches the museum experience you want.
A
Horizontal Stream of Time
A classic left-to-right chronological river. Periods appear as colored bands across the canvas; zooming in reveals individual artist nodes positioned by their active dates.
Trade-off: Instantly readable and familiar, but dense periods can feel crowded and less "infinite-canvas" dramatic.
B
Spiral Chronology
History unfolds as an outward spiral — Medieval at the center, Contemporary at the edges. Periods become rings or spiral segments; zooming pulls you deeper into any era.
Trade-off: Highly immersive and artistic, but precise date comparison and orientation are harder at first glance.
C
Constellation / Network Graph
Each period is a glowing constellation cluster; artists are stars, connected by influence and movement lines. Zoom collapses/ expands detail via a force-directed layout.
Trade-off: Best for showing relationships between artists, but the chronological "sweep" is discovered rather than immediately obvious.