Notes for the Units Prehistoric to Egyptian Art
Paleolithic Art (30,000BC and on)
“Old Stone Age”- tools are made of stone (before metal)
Man makes the critical breakthrough and becomes wholly human. Not just recognizing human or animal forms in the world around them (eg- a pebble that looks like a human face), but REPRESENTATION of them.
- Invention of representation!
- Birth of characteristically human capability that has man master of his environment- making images and symbols.
- an aesthetic (beauty) sense and the ability to pose and solve problems are among the characteristics unique to human beings
Example artwork
Venus of Willendorf, limestone, 4.5” high, 28,000- 25,000BC
Cave Paintings
Some of the most spectacular prehistoric art was found in the caves of southern France and northern Spain
Characteristic of Ancient Art to these paintings are two things:
1. subject matter = animals- bison, mammoth, ibex, horse, etc.
2. subject in strict profile- this view is the only one that is completely informative about the animal’s shape. – CONCEPTUAL NOT OPTICAL
Originality or variety is not highly valued as today.
Example artwork
Bison, Altamira cave, Spain, 12,000-11,000BC, each bison 5’ long
Recap:
First sculptures are small and female
First paintings are usually of animals
Conceptual (not optical) views are usually created
Meanings are unclear due to a lack of writing left behind (“prehistoric”)
Food gathering of the Paleolithic Period turns to food production of the Neolithic Period
The Ancient Near Eastalso known as Mesopotamia
Israel, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Egypt
Mesopotamia- Greek word that means “the land between the rivers”-Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
1. god/man relationship
2. city states- independent city, with its own government
Ziggurat of Ur, Iraq, 2100BC
3. writing- (developed simultaneously with Egypt) called cuneiform
Example Artwork
Bull Headed Lyre anddetail ofSoundbox from Lyre, Royal Cemetery of Ur, Iraq, 2600BC (Sumerian)
Recap:
Birth of urban life (civilization) in Mespotamia
Birth of writing
Monumental art and architecture- ruler portraits, law codes, palaces
Egyptian
5500BC – 3100BC pre-dynastic
3100BC- 332BC dynastic
Pharaoh- Egyptian king- originally from the Egyptian for “great house” referring to the royal palace (New Kingdom) e.g. “White House” = US President
Hieroglyphs= symbols, from the Greek “sacred” hieros “to carve” glyphen
Egyptian Art = Religious
1 art linked to religion- religious to excess
- rulers are divine kings, sons of sun god (Ra or Re)- gods in human form
- kings=link to gods
2 art linked to death- ensure safety in new life
3 art had ongoing use of strict conventionalism- afforded a sense of permanence
dwellings = impermanent, tombs = permanent
Example artwork
Palette of King Narmer, Egypt, pre-dynastic, 3000-2920 BC
The Great Pyramids; Mycerinus, Chefren, and Cheops.c. 2650–2500 B.C.E.
Human Figure Representation Convention:
Head- profile
Eye- frontal (most expressive from front)
Shoulders - frontal
Hips, legs, feet– profile
Egypt Recap:
-Religious beliefs of the soul’s everlasting life
-Pharoahs (kings) are considered man and god
-Consistent use of Canon of Proportion
-Tombs and temples expressed the grandeur and permanence of the kingdom of Egypt