History of Art and

Culture Notes

Art, whether made in the past, is part of the present. As a persisting event

Things to consider when looking at Art?

 How old it is?
 What is its style?
 What is its subject?
 Who made it?
 Who paid for it?

Prehistoric period: the birth of art Africa, Europe, and the near East in the Stone Age.
Prehistory: is a term used to describe period before recorded history.
Stone Age: is a broad prehistoric period during which humans widely used stone for
tool and making.

1. Paleolithic: old stone Age

2. Mesolithic: middle stone Age
3. Neolithic: new Stone Age
B.C.E= before Common Era
C.E = Common Era
Relief Artworks
Petroglyphs: carved in stone (glyphs are carved)
Pietographs: painted on stone (graphs are painted)
Paleolithic Art
  2.5 million years-10,000 years ago
 Humans were grouped together in small scale societies
 Food gatherers and hunters
 Introduction of stone tools
 They create the first paintings and sculptures

Prehistoric material and techniques

 The used animal fat in stone lamps
 To draw they use chunks of red and yellow ochre and charcoal etc
 Palette: large flat stone
 Brushes: reeds, bristles or twigs.
 For high places: ledges, primitive scaffolds
Who made the cave art?
Why did they make?
Answer: years of study tells us that both men and women made art.

The upper image is from Lascaux Cave (France)

Water pebble resembling a human Face
 Found in Africa
 3,000,000 B.C.E old
 Found from Makapansgat cave
 Reddish brown jasperite pebble
 It bears an uncanny resemblance to a human face
 HUMAN WITH FELINE HEAD
 Date: ca. 30, 000 – 28, 000 BC
 Media: Mammoth Ivory – Size: 11-5/8 inches high
 Culture: Early Paleolithic- Original Location: Holstein-Stael, Germany.
 Method: Subtractive, Incised, and Polished
 Iconography: Nude male (genitalia obvious), standing
 Human body rendered in a highly schematic manner through simplification
 Arms articulated at the sides
 Incised Parallel Lines on the upper arms
 Wearing large cat skin and head
 Feet were simplified
 Cat head is clearly defined, very realistic looking lion –like
 Portable, lightweight material, carried it during migrations
 Represents the Shaman, used in pagan religious activities perhaps for hunting
 Mammoth Ivory used because of its rarity and /or importance to the community
Venus of Willendorf also called Nude Woman,
Upper Paleolithic female figurine found in 1908 at Willendorf, Austria
 The statuette—made of oolitic limestone tinted with red ochre pigment
 Dated to 28,000–25,000 BCE.
 It is 11.1 cm high
 Enormous breasts
 Hands rests upon breasts
 Did not carve any facial hairs
 Tiny forearms
 It was easily transportable by hand. Both its size (portability)
 Its arms, though visible, are negligible and crudely depicted. Though a head
is present, the only detail to be seen is a pattern representing a braid or cap;
there are no facial features. Feet too are missing and were probably never
part of the overall design.
 It has been suggested that she is a fertility figure, a good-luck totem, a mother
goddess symbol
 Further, one researcher hypothesized that it was made by a woman and that
“[w]hat has been seen as evidence of obesity
 Two bison, reliefs in the cave at Le Tuc d’Audoubert, France
 ca. 15,000–10,000 bce
 Both bisons are 2 feet long.
 Modeled out of clay from the walls of the cave
o the bisons stand next to each, propped up against a small boulder in the
darkness
o .Although they stand at a diminutive 18 inches tall by 24 inches long
o Largest sculpture with overall shape of an animal
o Their craftsmanship and durability is remarkable.
o Until they were discovered in the early 20th century, the bison stood alone
in the damp French cave for thousands of years.
o Shape of feature eyes, nostrils, mouth

The Laussel Shelter

 Was found in France
 the Laussel women is one of the earliest relief sculpture known
 open air art of stone age
 flat surface of large rock creating an image projecting out from its background
 25,000-20,000 B.C.E old
 Painted limestone
 18 inches high
 Woman is holding bison horn
 No facial expressions
  Left hand on abdomen
 Pubic part is carved triangle

Bison licking its flank, fragmentary spear-thrower, from La Madeleine, France,

ca. 12,000 bce.
Reindeer horn,41 –8″ long.