Gardner s Art Through the Ages, 12e Chapter 1 The Birth of Art: Africa, Europe, and the Near East in the Stone Age 1
by Mark Tansey, a contemporary, post-modern artist and art historian 2
Prehistoric Europe and the Near East 3
Alberti s Theory of Image by Chance, or How and Why did Humans Start Making Art? I believe that the arts of those who attempt to create images and likenesses originated in the following way. They probably observed in a tree trunk or clod of earth and other similar inanimate objects certain outlines in which, with slight alterations, something very similar to nature was represented. They began [to] take away or otherwise supply whatever seemed lacking to effect and complete the true likeness. ***Leon Battista Alberti (1404 1472) was an Italian author, artist, architect, poet, priest, linguist, philosopher a Renaissance Humanist, considered an early art historian 4
Prehistoric Art The story of art begins in the prehistoric era; however, since this art is prehistoric (before the written record) much of what we know is speculative at best and not included on the APAH Exam. When analyzing any artwork, we must be sure to understand the importance of the relationship between the context and function of the work of art. Context: considering historical, political, religious and geological (environmental) influences of the time period Function: the purpose for the work of art, what it was used for 5
Prehistoric Art spans from approx 30,000 BCE 2000 BCE BCE before the common era (replaced BC or Before Christ) CE the common era (replaced AD or Anno Domini) Latin: Annus = year Dominus = Lord Prehistoric Art is divided into two major periods: Paleolithic: (memorize 15,000 BCE) paleo - means old or ancient lithos - means stone Neolithic: (memorize 7,000 BCE) neo means new 6
Paleolithic Art Figure 1-4 Nude woman (Venus of Willendorf), from Willendorf, Austria, ca. 28,000 25,000 BCE. Limestone, approx. 4 1/4 high. Naturhistorisches Museum, Vienna. Statuette: a small staute or sculpture, a figurine Subtractive (or reductive) sculpture: material was removed, or subtracted, to make the form 7
Paleolithic Art One of the oldest sculptures unearthed thus far Archeologists have discovered many of these types of statuettes from the Paleolithic Era Image websearch paleolithic figurines We can only speculate as to the exact contexts and functions of these artworks 8
Paleolithic Art Figure 1-3 Human with feline head, from Hohlenstein-Stadel, Germany, ca. 30,000 28,000 BCE. Mammoth ivory, 11 5/8 high. Ulmer Museum, Ulm. Another example of a Paleolithic, subtractive sculpture Also called: Lowenmensch 9
Paleolithic Art Figure 1-5 Woman holding a bison horn, from Laussel, Dordogne, France, ca. 25,000 20,000 BCE. Painted limestone, approx. 1 6 high. Musée d Aquitaine, Bordeaux. Relief sculpture: A sculpture which, intended to be viewed from one side, is carved (subtractive) or modeled (additive) from a flat background. 10
Figure 1-6 Reclining woman, rock-cut relief, La Magdelaine cave, Tarn, France, ca. 12,000 BCE. Approx. half life-size. 11
Paleolithic Art Figure 1-7 Two bison, reliefs in cave at Le Tuc d Audoubert, Ariège, France, ca. 15,000 10,000 BCE. Clay, each approx. 2 long. Additive Sculpture: is made with malleable materials, which can be shaped and added to, such as wax or clay. 12
Paleolithic Art Figure 1-8 Bison with turned head, fragmentary spearthrower, from La Madeleine, Dordogne, France, ca. 12,000 BCE. Reindeer horn, approx. 4 long. Musée des Antiquités Nationales, Saint- Germain-en-Laye. Schematic: images and forms are represented in simplified or symbolic form, iconic Abstraction: Abstraction (from the Latin abs, meaning away from and trahere, meaning to draw) is the process of taking away or removing characteristics from something in order to reduce it to a set of essential characteristics 13
Paleolithic Art Figure 1-9 Bison, detail of a painted ceiling in the Altamira cave, Santander, Spain, ca. 12,000 11,000 BCE. Each bison approx. 5 long. Notice how these bison do not stand on a ground-line (a baseline upon which figures stand in paintings or reliefs) We have an aerial view (view from above) as opposed to a side view 14
Paleolithic Art Figure 1-9 Bison, detail of a painted ceiling in the Altamira cave, Santander, Spain, ca. 12,000 11,000 BCE. Each bison approx. 5 long. twisted perspective: a convention of representation in which part of a figure is shown in profile (side view) and another part of the same figure is shown frontally (front view) Also called composite view 15
Paleolithic Art Figure 1-10 Spotted horses and negative hand imprints, wall painting in the cave at Pech-Merle, Lot, France, ca. 22,000 BCE. Approx. 11 2 long. The hands we see in this image are negative as the painter placed their hand on the wall and either blew or brushed paint around it Other handprints also exist in this cave which are positive as the painter first dipped their hand in pigment and then pressed it against the wall 16
Paleolithic Art Figure 1-11 Hall of the Bulls (left wall), Lascaux, Dordogne, France, ca. 15,000 13,000 BCE. Largest bull approx. 11 6 long. contour/contour line: a continuous line defining the outer shape of a figure or object optical view: when a painter draws an image so that the representation looks as it appears from a fixed viewpoint descriptive view: when a painter draws an image but rejects the optical view in favor of a perspective which better defines or describes the concept of the image (ex. frontal horns are more bull-like ) 17
Paleolithic Art Figure 1-12 Aurochs, horses, and rhinoceroses, wall painting in Chauvet Cave, Vallon-Pont-d Arc, Ardèche, France, ca. 30,000 28,000 or ca. 15,000 13,000 BCE. Approx. half life-size. The paintings at Chauvet are 15,000 years older than the ones at Lascaux or Peche-Merle, but were discovered over a hundred years later in 1995 Notice how little cave painting changed in over 15,000 years the previous assumption that art evolves from simple to sophisticated was essentially debunked with the discovery of Chauvet. 18
Neolithic Art Figure 1-14 Great stone tower built into the settlement wall, Jericho, ca. 8000 7000 BCE. During the Neolithic period humans gradually made the transition from nomadic hunters and gatherers to farmers in stable villages The biblical town of Jericho really did have thick, protective walls and a 30 foot high circular tower, marking the beginning of monumental architecture in the West 19
Neolithic Art Figure 1-15 Human figure, from Ain Ghazal, Jordan, ca. 6750 6250 BCE. Plaster, painted and inlaid with cowrie shell and bitumen (a tar-like substance), 3 5 3/8 high. Louvre, Paris. These Middle-Eastern, Neolithic statuettes are very distinct from their Paleolithic predecessors, especially in size and how they were made They appear to have been ritually buried They mark the beginning of monumental sculpture in the Ancient Near East 20
Neolithic Art Figure 1-16 Schematic reconstruction drawing of a section of Level VI, Çatal Höyük, Turkey, ca. 6000 5900 BCE. (after J. Mellaart). Why would a Neolithic village be built this way? 21
Neolithic Art Figure 1-17 Deer hunt, detail of a wall painting from Level III, Çatal Höyük, Turkey, ca. 5750 BCE. Museum of Anatolian Civilization, Ankara. The people of Çatal Höyük created murals, or wall paintings Unlike cave painting, we see clearly drawn human beings 22
Neolithic Art Figure 1-18 Landscape with Volcano, detail of a wall painting from Level VII, Çatal Höyük, Turkey, ca. 5750 BCE. Museum of Anatolian Civilization, Ankara. Çatal Höyük has the oldest landscape yet discovered 23
Neolithic Art Figure 1-19 Aerial view of Stonehenge, Salisbury Plain,Wiltshire, England, ca. 2550 1600 BCE. Circle is 97' in diameter; trilithons approx. 24' high. Stonehenge is the best-known Neolithic monument Henge: a circle of stones also known as a cromlech Currently, archeologist speculate that Stonehenge is a remarkably accurate solar calendar 24
Neolithic Art Figure 1-19 Detail major trilithon (three stone construction), from NW megalith: great stones These megaliths are as much as 17 feet high, weighing as much as 50 tons (100,000 lbs.) Post and Lintel: a system of construction when two posts support a lintel, a beam used to span and opening 25
Nancy Holt Sun Tunnels 1975 Utah Desert