Prehistoric Art
"Drawing is still the same as Prehistoric Times.." - Haring
Main Ideas
Dates: 1,500,000 BC - 2000 BC
Prehistoric art can be several things, from megaliths to little stone figurines, to paintings on the walls of caves. The term "prehistoric" indicates that the culture that produced the artwork did not have a written language. Sculptures were carved using sharp-edged rocks and clay. Paints were made of minerals, ochre, burnt bone meal and charcoal mixed into water, blood, animal fats and tree saps. Paleolithic artists used only five main colors at their disposal: yellow, red, brown, black and white.
Main Locations/Structures
Prehistoric artwork is found worldwide. This includes the Americas, Australia, Africa, and Eurasia. In Eurasia, there is a total of 280 prehistoric caves.
There are several Prehistoric structures created, but the most famous ones are the Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England; Catal Huyuk in central Anatolia (earliest village in world made of mud bricks) , Megalith in Scotland, Loscaux Cave in southwestern France and Nasca Lines in Peru.
Examples of Art
Venus of Willendorf
25000 BC - 21000 BC Carved out of limestone Bublbous oval shape emphasizes head, breasts, torso, and thighs Portable Art Founded in Austria by archaeologist Josef Szomloathy
The Lady in a Hood
25000 BC Carved in mammoth tusk About 1.5 inches tall Earliest example of human face with life-like characteristics Found in Southwestern France
Stonehenge
2000 BC Stones were dragged 20 miles Built using post and lintel construction "sacred" place Found in Wiltshire, England
Facts About The Movement
Facts
Located far into the mouths of caves contained the everyday life of Prehistoric people, where art was created with a ritual/magical purpose. This was a time of the cave men who lived off of berries and buffalo that were used for clothing, food, shelter, and art!
The prehistoric people often represented their world and beliefs through visual images; depiction of animals are vividly realistic, while humans were either completely absent or stick figures. The main theme in their artwork were food or fertility.
The prehistoric art represents a giant leap in human cognition: abstract thinking.