The Beginning of Art

Prehistory- before writing.

Time Periods

•Paleolithic Art :30,000 BC to 4,000 BC in Europe

•Neolithic Art: 4000 BC to 2000 BC in Europe

Cave Paintings

Paleolithic

Techniques

• Dark lines outlining the contour of the animals

• Earth colours (from natural pigments)

• Smudging to fill in shapes

• Flat shapes

Just the animals that were around at that time.

Instructions on how to hunt or not to hunt.

The cave was used for religious ceremonies.

Painting were for good luck in hunting.

Why did they paint the cave? What do the paintings mean?

Altamira Cave (12,500 BC)

SculpturePaleolithic

“Venus” of Willendorf28,000 and 25,000 BC

Lion Man-Stadel cave40,000 BC

Bison with turned head12,000 BC

Cave Paintings

Neolithic

Megaliths

Neolithic- Bronzeage

Dolmen Menhir Cromlech

StonehengeA prehistoric rock monument.

Made of monoliths- large rocks.

Very mysterious-align with the sun-cast shadows during solstices and may have been a type of calendar.

Created over timeAround 2000 BCE.

There are otherStones circles butThis is the most famous.