Prehistoric Art and Egyptian Art

Intended Learning Outcomes

• Discuss the use of art by prehistoric people to depict everyday life

• Identify central themes of prehistoric art

• Differentiate techniques used in early Egyptian civilizations

• Explain the link between art and religion in early Egyptian civilization

Prehistoric Art

• Encompasses Paleolithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic periods

• Demonstrates early human expression of beliefs and culture

• Shows unique ability for symbolic thought

• Sets humans apart by showcasing artistic expression

Cave Art

• Includes pictographs and petroglyphs to portray stories or record history

• Found in areas not easily accessed, suggesting transmission of information or religious/ceremonial purposes

• Common themes are large wild animals and human hand tracings

• Predominantly depicts animals, with over 600 images of horses

Reasons for Cave Art

• Possible reasons include decoration, clan representation, marking possession, and symbolism of opposites

Interpretations of Cave Art

• Traditional interpretations suggest religious/spiritual purposes or survival/magic for hunting

• Recent interpretations propose expression of inner visions and animals as spirit guides

Cro-Magnons and Shamans

• Cro-Magnons were early Homo Sapiens responsible for cave paintings in Lascaux and Altamira

• Shamans entered trance states in caves to paint visions and gain supernatural power

Techniques of Prehistoric Art

• Natural objects and sharp tools used for painting and etching

• Paint likely made from berries, clay, soot, charcoal, or animal fat

• Tools for applying paint could be made from straw, leaves, moss, or hair

Art Forms and Artworks

• Art forms include paintings, drawings, engravings, and handprints

• Notable artworks include Venus of Willendorf and Lascaux cave paintings

Venus of Willendorf

• Carved from oolitic limestone and covered in red ochre

• Unearthed in 1908 during railway construction

• Represents the "first woman" with a focus on the female body

Chauvet Cave

• Radiocarbon dating shows cave was frequented at different periods

• Images primarily drawn between 30,000 and 32,000 BC

• Some footprints date back to a second period around 25,000 to 27,000 BC

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• Paleolithic cave paintings were created by applying dry pigment to a wet or damp wall.

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• Hall of Bulls in Lascaux, France, painted in yellow on the cave ceiling.

• Paintings of Bisons from the Caves at Altamira, circa 15000 BC.

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• Shift from Paleolithic to Neolithic marked by the establishment of civilizations and development of farming.

• Earliest known stone fortification and civilization found in Jericho around 10,000 BCE.

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• Neolithic Plaster Skulls from Jericho created by applying plaster to human skulls.

• Represent the likeness of the deceased.

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• Stonehenge in England built around 3200 BCE.

• Stones dragged from inland mountains to the site.

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• Six complete bone flutes excavated from Jiahu, China, dating back to 7000-5700 B.C.

• Carved from the wing bone of the red-crowned crane.

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• Handprints from the North American Anasazi tribe, created around 1500 BCE.

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• The Cosquer Cave features fifty-five handprints from the Paleolithic era.

• Handprints drawn as negative (stencils) and positive images.

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• Neolithic art characterized by the use of stone tools, development of agriculture, and settling into permanent communities.

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• Neolithic art created for functional purposes.

• More human images than animals, used for ornamentation.

• Art created in fixed locations like temples and tombs.

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• Painting in Western Europe and the Near East became purely decorative.

• Çatal Hüyük in Turkey shows early wall paintings dating back to 6150 BC.

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• Neolithic statuary focused on female/fertility themes.

• Sculptures made from clay and baked.

• Jericho excavation revealed a human skull overlaid with sculpted plaster features.

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• Male and female figures from Cernavoda, Romania, around 3500 B.C.

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• Neolithic pottery replaced stone and wood utensils, becoming more decorated.

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• Neolithic era saw the emergence of weaving, architecture, and stylized pictographs.

• Refinements in statuary, painting, and pottery.

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• Skara Brae village in Orkney, dating back to 3200 BC, contains well-preserved stone structures.

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• Introduction to Egyptian art.

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• Egyptian culture developed along the Nile river.

• Pharaohs were worshiped as gods, pyramids built as tombs.

• Belief in life after death and mummification.

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• Hieroglyphics, painting, sculpture, architecture, pottery, and jewelry in Egyptian art.

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• Egyptian art heavily influenced by religion and life after death.

• Frontalism style with specific rules for depiction.

• Subjects depicted with head in profile and upper body from the front.

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• Stele of Nefertiabet from Giza, painted limestone from the 4th Dynasty.

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• Egyptians known for hieroglyphics, a form of picture writing.

• Hieroglyphics use small pictures to represent words, actions, or ideas.

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• Egyptian West Bank Tombs feature paintings for a pleasant afterlife.

• Themes include the journey through the afterworld and activities of the deceased.

Ancient Egyptian Architecture

• Scant tree growth led to limited use of wood in building materials.

  • Sun-dried and kiln-dried bricks were extensively used.

  • Fine sandstone, limestone, and granite were used for obelisks and sculptures.

• Dwelling houses made of timber or sun-baked bricks have disappeared.

• Temples and tombs, with thick walls made of durable materials like stone, have survived.

• Belief in reincarnation influenced the impressive and permanent architecture.

• Egyptian architecture maintained native characteristics despite foreign rule.

Great Pyramid of Giza

• Built around 2600-2480 BCE, covering about 13 acres.

• Constructed with 2,300,000 dressed stone blocks, each averaging 2.5 tons.

• Blocks were moved using log rollers and sledges, then ramped into place.

Sphinx and Pharaoh Khafre

• The Sphinx symbolizes Pharaoh Khafre's power.

• It has the head of Khafre on a lion's body, standing at 65 feet tall.

Ancient Egyptian Sculpture

• Sculptures depicted gods, Pharaohs, or officials with straight lines and vivid hues.

• Stone was the most common material for sculptures.

• Statues were often painted and had frontal and cubic shapes.

• Wall sculptures were mainly in bas-relief form.

Ancient Egyptian Pottery

• Pottery was used for utilitarian purposes like modern kitchen containers.

• Two main types: Nile silt ware and Marl Clay, used for different purposes.

Ancient Egyptian Artifacts

• Included burial masks, coffins, jewelry, and canopic jars.

• Jewelry motifs reflected religious significance.

• Mummies and