In the Beginning – Prehistoric Art

Unit 1 Chapter 1: Art Before History

In the Beginning – Prehistoric Art

Guiding Question: What aspects of prehistoric art have continued through the ages?

Do Now: (4 Minutes)

Why do you think that images of man were less prevalent in Paleolithic art than those of women?

Prehistoric Europe and the Near East

Paleolithic Art

30,000 BCE – 8000 BCE

From the Greek: Paleo – “old” Lithos – “stone”

Humans create the first sculptures and paintings, long before the invention of writing

The works range in scale from tiny figurines to life-size painting and relief sculptures on cave walls

Venus of Willendorf

ca. 28000 – 25000 BCE

also known as nude woman

Limestone

4 ½” High

Founded in Austria

Represents a woman - nude, named Venus for beauty and love

Its significate was created for fertility reasons

Sculpture in the roundhttps://

www.khanacademy.org/humanities/prehistoric-art/paleolithic-art/v/nude-woman-venus-of-willendorf-c-28-000-25-000-b-c-e

Woman holding a bison horn

ca. 25000 – 20000 BCE

From Laussel, France

Painted limestone

1’ 6” high

Relief sculpture

Was apart of a great stone block – measured about 140 cubic feet

From a rock shelter which were common dwelling for early humans

Depicts a nude woman

Woman holding a bison horn

When the sculpture was chiseled out – a red ocher was applied

Exaggeration of breast, abdomen, and hips

Scholars debate the meaning of the horn

Lascaux Cave

http://lascaux.culture.fr/

Hall of the Bulls

ca. 16000 – 14000 BCE

Located in the Lascaux Cave

The largest bull is 11’ 6” long

Materials and Techniques of Paleolithic cave paintings

To illuminate their surfaces as they work, Paleolithic painters used stone lamps filled with marrow/fat with a wick

For drawing Chucks of yellow and red ocher

For painting Grounded the ochers in to powder and mixed with

water Used large rocks as palettes Made brushes from reeds, bristles, or twigs may have used blowpipes made of reeds or hollow

bones to spray pigments in out of reach areas

Camelid sacrum in the shape of a canine ca. 14000 – 7000 BCE

Camelid hipbone

Tequixquiac, Central Mexico

Jade Cong

ca. 3000 – 2000 BCE

China

Jade

Jade Cong

https://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/ap-art-history/global-prehistory-ap/paleolithic-mesolithic-neolithic/v/jade-cong

Camelid sacrum in the shape of a canine

Homework

Website: https://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/ap-art-history/global-prehistory-ap/paleolithic-mesolithic-neolithic/a/stonehenge

Website: http://www.bradshawfoundation.com/stonehenge/construction.php

Describe the three phases of construction of Stonehenge