1. Art History 1
Prehistory

2. Sculptures in earliest art discoveries
Paleolithic Sculpture
Sculptures are the earliest known art objects.
This particular sculpture is one of the earliest and most famous
This sculpture is called, “Venus of Willendorf”
It is dated to 25,000 – 20,000 BCE
It is carved from limestone and tinted with red ochre
We cannot be certain of its cultural significance but many people believe it was intended to be held in the hand and represents fertility
Venus of Willendorf, c. 25,000-20,000 B.C. Museum of Natural History, Vienna. 4 1/8 inches high. Discovered in Lower Austria in 1908 by Josef Szombathy

3. Characteristics of Paleolithic sculpture
All prehistoric sculpture is portable
Most prehistoric sculpture is very small
Many of the prehistoric sculptures are of people although the shapes of those people, particularly the women, are exaggerated
Little is known about the original intent or meaning of the sculptures

4. Cave Paintings
Dating of cave paintings is controversial, but most experts agree the paintings were created at least 15,000 years ago
Most cave paintings have been found in Europe
The cave painting above is one of the most famous found in Lascaux, France
Most cave paintings were made from charcoal and ochres (pigments found in nature) ground and blown onto the wall with bone or plant tubes, or rubbed onto it, or even painted with brushes made from hair or fur
The subject of most of the paintings is an animal or animals such as horses, bison, mammoths, cattle, boar or deer. Sometimes the animals are superimposed over one another.
It is believed these paintings were done to bring good fortune to the hunting expeditions. These paintings are from the Paleolithic period.

5. Characteristics of Paleolithic paintings
Most prehistoric paintings exist in caves
Most prehistoric painting is of animals
Animals in the paintings often have black contour outlines
Humans are shown in cave paintings as stick figures
Many times handprints are found in cave paintings
Handprints are generally negative images of the left hand with color blown or splattered around it
Sometimes the hand image is show with missing fingers or joints, but never is the thumb harmed
Infinity.cos.edu
art-smart.ci.manchester.ct.us/artists/ar_cave-art.html

6. Ancient Architecture (or Monumental Sculpture)
An example of ancient architecture or monumental sculpture is Stonehenge
Stonehenge is in England in the county of Wiltshire
There are literally hundreds of ancient monumental sculptures dating back to at least 5000 BCE with Stonehenge being the most famous of its type
Stonehenge appears to be an accurate astronomical calendar
There is a “heel” stone outside the concentric circles at Stonehenge and that heel stone marks the point where the sun rises at summer solstice. Stonehenge is from the Neolithic period.

7. Vocabulary Paleolithic (Old Stone Age) – hunters-gatherers
Neolithic (New Stone Age) – cultivated earth and raised livestock. Lived in organized settlements, constructed homes and had specific jobs for members of the community
Henge – circle of stone
Post-and-lintel –method of construction in which two posts support a horizontal beam, called a lintel