Art History fall 2026 | Lori Neuenfeldt TCU

What is the name of this figure

Nude Woman "Venus" of Willendorf

What culture/period is this from

Paleolithic/Prehistoric. Austria, 28,000-25,000 BC

What is this made of, and how big is it?

Limestone, small, 4.5” meaning it wasn’t made where it was found

What stylistic term describes how her body

Exaggeration

Describe her pose/composition

Frontal, in the round, closed composition

What is this work called?

The Hall of Bulls, Lascaux

What culture/period is this from

Paleolithic/Prehistoric, France, ~16,000-14,000 BC

Describe the composition

Twisted perspective or composite pose

Pose / viewpoints

1. Frontal

2. Profile

3. Twisted perspective (composite view)

1. Frontal (pose/view point)

acing straight out at the viewer (Venus of Willendorf)

2. Profile (pose/view point)

shown from the side

3. Twisted perspective or composite view (pose/view point)

• combines viewpoints in one image, e.g. head/body in profile but horns shown frontally (Lascaux animals)

Carving/sculpture type

1. In the round

2. Relief

1. In the round (Carving/sculpture type)

fully three-dimensional, freestanding, walkable-around (Venus of Willendorf)

2. Relief (Carving/sculpture type)

attached to a background, not fully freestanding

• High relief — projects out significantly

• Low relief — barely projects, close to flat

Style/treatment of form

1. Naturalistic

2. Exaggerated

1. Naturalistic (Style/treatment of form)

close attention to real anatomical detail (Lascaux animals)

2. Exaggerated (Style/treatment of form)

features enlarged/shrunk for emphasis (Venus's body)

Architecture/construction

1. Megalith

2. Post-and-lintel

3. Trilithon

1. Megalith (Architecture/construction)

the broad category, just means "great stone" (any monumental stone structure)

2. Post-and-lintel (Architecture/construction)

The construction method: two upright supports + a horizontal beam across the top

3. Trilithon (Architecture/construction)

A specific instance of post-and-lintel construction (literally "three stones") — this is the term for Stonehenge's actual paired-stone units

What culture and time period is stone hinge from?

England, ca. 2550-1600 BC, Neolithic

What two types of stone were used at Stonehenge, and where did they come from?

Bluestones (hauled 145+ miles from southern Wales) and Sarsen stones

Prehistory

Before written communication, ca. 35,000-2,000 BC It's an umbrella term covering both the Paleolithic and Neolithic periods.

Paleolithic

'Old Stone Age' — ca. 40,000-9,000 BC

Paleolithic means 'Old Stone Age' (Greek paleo = old, lithos = stone), It's the earlier, longer sub-period within Prehistory.

Neolithic

'New Stone Age' — began ca. 9,000 BC, tied to farming and permanent settlement

beginning around 9,000 BC when climate change drove the shift to agriculture, permanent settlements, weaving, pottery, and religious construction (like Stonehenge).

Which comes first — Paleolithic or Neolithic — and how do their date ranges relate to 'Prehistory' as a whole?

Paleolithic (40,000-9,000 BC) comes first and is the longer period; Neolithic (9,000-2,000 BC) comes after and is shorter — together they make up all of Prehistory (35,000-2,000 BC).

What's the key difference in subject matter between Paleolithic art and Neolithic art?

Paleolithic: animal-focused, isolated figures, uncertain ritual purpose.

Neolithic: humans shown controlling/hunting animals, monumental architecture, permanent settlements

Paleolithic art (Venus of Willendorf, Hall of Bulls) focuses on isolated animals and uncertain ritual purposes.

Neolithic art (Stonehenge, Catal Hoyuk) shifts to humans interacting with animals, permanent settlements, and monumental architecture.