The resolved history of galaxy evolution

We briefly review the study of the evolution of galaxies from an observational point of view, with particular emphasis on the role of the Hubble Space Telescope in probing the evolution of the different morphological types of galaxy. We show how using the stellar mass of galaxies as a tracer of evolution can improve our understanding of the physical process taking place before turning our eyes towards the future and giving an overview of what we can expect from future advances in technology.