Art History Paleolithic and Neolithic Terms

Art

visual

made or modified

given value

contextual analysis

historical, cutural and geografical context where the art was made and found

formal analysis

looking at the elements of art, the way it was made, and the matirals of the composition

Anachronisum

attributing something to a period it does not belong

composite pose

something from the side but can see front facing features on the side

paliolithic

old stone age

prehistory

before written records

Relif sculpture

Sculpture that projects from a flat background

sculpture in the round

Three-dimensional sculpture that is carved free of any background or block.

commons in Paleolithic art

animals and people

fathers, blow pipes, hide, hands

creation stories, rituals, good hunts

additive sculpture

materials are built up or "added" to create form.

subtractive sculpture

materials are taken away from the original mass; carving.

Apotropaic

intended to ward off evil

hierarchy of scale

An artistic convention in which greater size indicates greater importance.

jade

a hard gemstone

landscape

a large area with a particular kind of scenery, such as a desert landscape

Neolithic

New Stone Age

neolithic art commons

animal figures, geometic designs, potts, clay, stone, religious and social art