Art History Ancient Art Lecture 2

TIMELINE
KEY ART WORKS
CONTEXTUALIZATION and
LOCALIZATION
Art History 1 * Lesson 2
PhilippineWomen’s College of Davao
Wilfred Dexter G.Tañedo

What have you learned in doing the Activity?
Do you now have more respect or admiration to
the art of the Prehistoric Era? Why or Why not?
Can we see ourselves making use of the learned
technique in our art?
Insights on Caveman Rock Art

Paleolithic Era (c.2,500,000 - 10,000 BCE)
Characterized by a Stone Age subsistence culture and the evolution of the human
species from primitive australopiths via Homo erectus and Homo sapiens to
anatomically modern humans.
Mesolithic Era (From 10,000 BCE)
This era joins the Ice Age culture of the Upper Paleolithic with the ice-free, farming
culture of the Neolithic. It is characterized by more advanced hunter-gathering, fishing
and rudimentary forms of cultivation.
Neolithic Era
(From 8,000-4,000 BCE to 2000 BCE)
This era is characterized by farming, domestication of animals, settled communities
and the emergence of important ancient civilizations (eg. Sumerian, Egyptian). Portable
art and monumental architecture dominate.
Timeline for the Ancient Art Period

(1) Ultra-Primitive Humanoid Objects (c.230,000 - 700,000 BCE)
Sculpted during the Lower Paleolithic era, these primitive effigies -
considered by some archeologists to be the result of natural erosion, not human
artistry - include the above mentionedVenuses of Berekhat Ram and Tan-Tan.
(2) Primitive Reliefs (from 23,000 BCE onwards)
The ability to work safely and undisturbed in a secure cave, may
account for the relatively early appearance of prehistoric relief sculptures.
(3) Venus Figurines (from 40,000 BCE onwards)
Sculpted predominantly during the Aurignacian and Gravettian
cultures (40-20,000 BCE), these small steatopygian Venus figurines - commonly
considered to have totemic or fertility significance - have been discovered
throughout Europe and beyond.
(4) Carvings of Anthropomorphic Figures (from 30,000 BCE onwards)
Varying considerably in size, human features and therianthropic value,
these date back to the mid-Aurignacian.
(5) Carvings of Animal Figures (from 33,000 BCE onwards)
The strangest, most exotic and most varied of all types of prehistoric
sculpture, these carvings frequently have mythological or religious significance.
5Types of Ancient Art Sculptures

the French Venus of Monpazier (c.25,000 BCE)
the SlovakianVenuses of Hradok and Moravany (c.24,000 BCE),
the Russian Venus of Gagarino (20,000 BCE)
the Siberian Venus of Mal'ta (c.20,000 BCE)
the Swiss Venus of Engen (c.13,000 BCE).
The OtherVenus Figurines

The oldest known work of art in the Philippines
located in the province of Rizal.There are 127 human
and animal figures engraved on the rockwall probably
carved during the late Neolithic.
These inscriptions clearly show stylized human
figures, frogs and lizards, along with other designs that
may have depicted other interesting figures but erosion
may have caused it to become indistinguishable.
The engravings are mostly symbolic
representations and are associated with healing and
sympathetic magic.
Agono Petroglyphs

The Angono Petroglyphs of
Binangonan is located in a shallow rock
shelter. It measures 63 meters wide, 8
meters deep and a maximum height of 5
meters. It has been created due
to faulting and formed in volcanic soil
during the Quaternary period.
There are 127 drawings in the form
of animate and static figures of circular or
dome-like head on top of a 'V' shaped torso
distributed on a horizontal plane on the
rock wall area measuring 25 meters by 3
meters.
Only 51 of the total 127 drawings
are distinct. Due to the complexity and
plurality of the drawings, it is suggested
that the drawings on the rock were not
only created by a single individual
Agono petroglyphs

People are nomads and constantly moving from place to another.They are hunters
and gatherers of their food and needs.
Divided into 3 Subcategories with each marking advancement especially in tool
technology
Lower Paleolithic Middle Paleolithic Upper Paleolithic
The stone tools became one of their expression for their works of art.
Paleolithic Period
(c.2,500,000 - 10,000 BCE)

Three different tool-based cultures:
(1) Oldowan culture (2,500,000-
1,500,000 BCE)
The key feature of Oldowan
tool manufacture was the method of
chipping stones to create a chopping
or cutting edge.
Most tools were fashioned
using a single strike of one rock
against another to create a sharp-
edged flake.
The Lower Paleolithic Era
(2,500,000 - 200,000 BCE)

Acheulean culture (1,650,000-100,000 BCE)
The most important and dominant
tool-making tradition of the Lower Paleolithic
era throughout Africa and much of Asia and
Europe.
Acheulean tool users with their
signature style oval and pear-shaped hand-
axes were the first humans to expand
successfully across Eurasia.
The earliest art by Stone Age man
dates from Acheulean Culture.
Trivia: Archeologists now believe that
Acheulean peoples were the first to experience
fire
(2,500,000 - 200,000 BCE)

(3) Clactonian culture (c.400,000–300,000 BCE)
Clactonian describes a culture of European flint tool
manufacture or "art", associated with Homo erectus.
Clactonian tools were sometimes notched, indicating they
were attached to a handle or shaft.
(2,500,000 - 200,000 BCE)

the Venus of Berekhat Ram (found on the Golan Heights) and the Venus of
Tan-Tan (discovered in Morocco) were dated to between roughly 200,000
and 500,000 BCE (the former is more ancient).
Early Paleolithic Art

The second stage of the Paleolithic Era, as
applied to Europe, Africa and Asia. The dominant
Paleolithic culture was Mousterian, a flake tool industry
largely characterized by the point and side scraper.
Mousterian Culture (300,000 - 30,000 BCE)
Tool forms featured a wide variety of
specialized shapes, including barbed and serrated edges.
Levallois Flake-Tool Culture (c.100,000 - 30,000 BCE)
An important flint-knapping culture
characterized by an enhanced technique of producing
flakes.This involved the preliminary shaping of the core
stone into a convex tortoise shape in order to yield larger
flakes. Levallois culture influenced many other Middle
Paleolithic stone tool industries.
Middle Paleolithic Era
(200,000 - 40,000 BCE)

The pair of ochre rocks decorated with abstract
cross-hatch patterns found in the Blombos
Caves east of Cape Town. The oldest known
African Art dating 70,000 BCE
The Diepkloof eggshell engravings of South
Africa dated to 60,000 BCE. The eggshells belong
to an ostrich-like animal.
The cupules at the La Ferrassie Neanderthal cave
of France dated around 40,000 BCE
Middle Paleolithic Art

The Upper Paleolithic is the final and shortest stage of the Paleolithic
Age: less than 15 percent of the length of the preceeding Middle
Paleolithic
In addition to more specialized tools and a more sophisticated way of
life, Upper Paleolithic culture spawned the first widespread appearance
of human painting and sculpture, which appeared simultaneously in
almost every corner of the globe.
Stone Tool Cultures
The five main tool cultures of the Upper Paleolithic were (1) Perigordian
(aka Chatelperronian; (2) Aurignacian; (3) Gravettian; (4) Solutrean; and
(5) Magdalenian.
Upper Paleolithic Era
(40,000 - 8,000 BCE)

The Upper Paleolithic period witnessed the
beginning of fine art, featuring drawing,
modelling, sculpture, and painting, as well as
jewelery, personal adornments and early forms of
music and dance.
The three main art forms were cave
painting, rock engraving and miniature figurative
carvings.
Upper Paleolithic Art

Read on the Mesolithic and Neolithic Culture and Art
Identify important and notable art works of the Period
--------------------------------
Read on the Classical Art Period of Art
Guide Question:
What are the 3 Distinct Classical Art Period Art Forms?
What are their country/culture of Origin?
Identify 3 commonality and differences
What made them a “Classic”?
Reading Assignment

Materials: Soil Small rock Water Sketch Pad
Procedure:
1. Pound the soil using the small rock until it becomes powder-like.
2. Dip a finger into the water and get some powdered soil and draw an
animal inspired by the Lascaux Cave or Chauvet Cave drawings
Project 2: Caveman Painting

Rubrics
5 4 3 2 1 Score
Efficient use of
Art Elements
and Principles
Exceptional use
of the Elements
and Principles
of Art close to
Art Period
Proficient use of
the Elements
and Principles
of Art close to
Art Period
Approaching
Proficiency use
of the
Elements and
Principles of
Art
Above the basic
use of the
Element s and
PrinciplesArt
Basic use of
Art Elements
and Principles
Complexity of
Technique
(Workmanship)
Shows
workmanship
comparable to
the Art Period
Shows
workmanship
close to the Art
Period
Shows
workmanship
that is
identifiable to
the Art Period
Shows
workmanship
that has little
resemblance to
the Art Period
Workmanship
shows no
resemblance
from theArt
Period
Creativity Shows a work
that has an
advance
blending of the
limited
materials into a
cohesive work
Shows a work
that has a
proficient
blending of the
limited
materials into a
cohesive work
Shows a work
that is able to
blend the
limited
materials into
a reasonable
cohesive work
Shows a work
that is able to
blend the
limited
materials but
work is not
cohesive
Shows a work
that is not able
to blend the
materials into
a cohesive
work.
Visual Impact Work very much
captures the
attention of the
audience based
on its merits
Work captures
the attention of
the audience
based on its
merits
Work captures
the attention
of the
audience
based on its
merits and
demerit
Work captures
the attention of
the audience
but more on its
demerit than
merit
Work captures
the audience
attention
because of its
demerit

Art History Ancient Art Lecture 2

More Related Content

What's hot (20)

Similar to Art History Ancient Art Lecture 2 (20)

More from Wilfred Dexter Tanedo (20)

Recently uploaded (20)

Art History Ancient Art Lecture 2