1. In the Beginning – Prehistoric Art
Unit 1
Chapter 1: Art Before History

2. In the Beginning – Prehistoric Art
Guiding Question: What aspects of prehistoric art have continued through the ages?
Do Now: (4 Minutes)
Why do you think that images of man were less prevalent in Paleolithic art than those of women?

3. Prehistoric Europe and the Near East

4. Paleolithic Art 30,000 BCE – 8000 BCE From the Greek:
Paleo – “old”
Lithos – “stone”
Humans create the first sculptures and paintings, long before the invention of writing
The works range in scale from tiny figurines to life- size painting and relief sculptures on cave walls

5. Venus of Willendorf
ca – BCE
also known as nude woman
Limestone
4 ½” High
Founded in Austria
Represents a woman - nude, named Venus for beauty and love
Its significate was created for fertility reasons
Sculpture in the round

6. Woman holding a bison horn
ca – BCE
From Laussel, France
Painted limestone
1’ 6” high
Relief sculpture
Was apart of a great stone block – measured about 140 cubic feet
From a rock shelter which were common dwelling for early humans
Depicts a nude woman

7. Woman holding a bison horn
When the sculpture was chiseled out – a red ocher was applied
Exaggeration of breast, abdomen, and hips
Scholars debate the meaning of the horn

8. Lascaux Cave

9. Hall of the Bulls ca. 16000 – 14000 BCE Located in the Lascaux Cave
The largest bull is 11’ 6” long

10. Materials and Techniques of Paleolithic cave paintings
To illuminate their surfaces as they work, Paleolithic painters used stone lamps filled with marrow/fat with a wick
For drawing
Chucks of yellow and red ocher
For painting
Grounded the ochers in to powder and mixed with water
Used large rocks as palettes
Made brushes from reeds, bristles, or twigs
may have used blowpipes made of reeds or hollow bones to spray pigments in out of reach areas

11. Camelid sacrum in the shape of a canine
ca – 7000 BCE
Camelid hipbone
Tequixquiac, Central Mexico

12. Jade Cong
ca – 2000 BCE
China
Jade

13. Jade Cong

14. Camelid sacrum in the shape of a canine

15. Homework
Website: prep/ap-art-history/global-prehistory-ap/paleolithic- mesolithic-neolithic/a/stonehenge
Website: onstruction.php
Describe the three phases of construction of Stonehenge