An Introduction to Prehistoric Art Period with sample activity with rubrics

1. Painting Sculpture
Architecture
Art History 1 * Lecture 1
Philippine Women’s College of Davao
Wilfred Dexter G. Tañedo

2.  Identifying the Elements and Principles of Arts that are
distinct from that Art Period
 Contextualization and Localization of the Art
 Recreating of the technique in creating the Art Work
 Creation of an original art work that is inspired or
derived from the Art Period
Source Material:
http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/ancient-art/stone-age.htm
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-history-basics
http://arthistory.about.com/od/ancientarthistory/

3.  Name of the Artist
 Name of Work
 Period or Movement of a Work
 Medium of the Work
 Date of the Work
 Original Location
 Identification of Key Figures in the Work
 Art History Vocabulary ex. Impasto, Hierarchy of Scale
 Influences on the Artist
 How the work fits in/ How the work does not fit with its time
 Original setting of the Work
 Patron
 Symbolism

4.  ..Western Art Understanding VideosQuarter 1Otis Art History 01 -
Prehistoric Cave Paintings.mp4
 Western Art Understanding VideosQuarter 1Art History Abbreviated-
Woman of Willendorf.mp4
 ..Western Art Understanding VideosQuarter 1Otis Art History 02 -
Stonehenge.mp4
Guide Questions for Video 1:
 What was the common images created in the Lascaux Cave?
 What was the intention of the “artist” for creating these images?
Guide Questions for Video 2:
 What made the Venus of Willendorf a work of art and not just an
artifact?
 What importance does this sculpture has in art history?
Guide Questions for Video 3:
 What makes the Stonehenge an architectural interest for artist?
 What are the parts of the Stonehenge in terms of its stone position? What
carpentry technique was used to hold these stones in place

5. All art produced in preliterate, prehistorical
cultures beginning somewhere in very late geological
history, and generally continuing until that culture either
develops writing or other methods of record-keeping, or
makes significant contact with another culture that has,
and that makes some record of major historical events.

6.  Parietal Art
Artworks that are applied to an immoveable rock
surface.
derived from the Latin word "paries", meaning
wall is used to denote any prehistoric art found on cave
walls.
Includes all types of cave painting, all forms of
engraved rock art, or other petroglyphs, as well as any
relief sculpture carved on walls, floors or ceilings.
artwork done on cave walls or large blocks of stone

7.  Mobiliary Art
Artworks that are portable or moveable.
Any small-scale portable art of prehistory, such as
the Venus figurines, ivory carvings, jewelery and other
similar items
Most mobiliary art sculptures depict more
humans than animals.

8. Paleolithic (2,500,000-10,000 BCE)
Mesolithic (Europe, 10,000-4,000 BCE)
Neolithic (Europe, 4,000-2,000 BCE)
Of these, the Paleolithic is by far the longer period,
accounting for about 98 percent of the entire prehistoric
era.
The term "Stone Age Art" refers loosely to any works
created during these three periods

9. Petroglyphs
derived from the Greek word
"petra" meaning stone, and
"glyphein" meaning to carve
used to describe any image
created on a rock surface by
scouring, scratching, engraving,
chiseling, carving or any similar
method
Example: cupules, rock carvings
and engravings

10.  Pictographs
derived from the Latin "pictus"
meaning painting, and "graph/gram"
meaning drawn or written
describes an image, sign or
symbol which is created in order to
express some idea or information.
pictorial imagery, ideomorphs,
ideograms or symbols
Example: cave painting and drawing

11.  Prehistoric Sculpture
small totemic statuettes
known as Venus Figurines,
various forms of
zoomorphic and
therianthropic ivory
carving and relief
sculptures)

12.  Megalithic Art
Petroforms or any other works associated with
arrangements of stones
Megalithic art embraces any artistic activity involving the
use of large stones, notably carving, relief sculpture and of
course megalithic architecture.
Megolithic Art include monuments that were mostly
burial chambers, portal tombs (dolmens), passage tombs
(Newgrange) and gallery graves (Zuschen stone cist, Hesse),
Megalithic structures also included "alignments"
(arrangements) of single upright stones, called menhirs
(Carnac, Brittany) and stone circles (Stonehenge, UK) and
sanctuaries (Gobekli Tepe, Turkey).

13. Paleolithic Era (c.2,500,000 - 10,000 BCE)
 Characterized by a Stone Age subsistence culture and the evolution
of the human species from primitive australopiths via Homo erectus
and Homo sapiens to anatomically modern humans.
Mesolithic Era (From 10,000 BCE)
 This era joins the Ice Age culture of the Upper Paleolithic with the
ice-free, farming culture of the Neolithic. It is characterized by more
advanced hunter-gathering, fishing and rudimentary forms of
cultivation.
Neolithic Era
(From 8,000-4,000 BCE to 2000 BCE)
 This era is characterized by farming, domestication of animals,
settled communities and the emergence of important ancient
civilizations (eg. Sumerian, Egyptian). Portable art and monumental
architecture dominate.

14.  Read on notable works of art during the Ancient Time,
the Venus Figures, Cave Paintings, and notable
structures, try to get the reason why they were made.
 Research on a Philippine counterpart of Ancient Art,
indicate its exact location, possible date of creation
and type of ancient art
 Bring the following:
1 Tablespoon of Dry Soil
1 Large stone (fist-size)

15. Materials:
One smooth stone One rough rock
a) Select a caveman inspired animal presented in a
caveman painting (Lascaux or Chavet) and sketch on
the rock using a ballpen or pencil on the smooth
rock.
b) Using the rough rock etch the design on the smooth
stone to create the petroglyphs.

16. 5 4 3 2 1 Score
Close
Resemblance of
to the Source
Material.
Exceptional
work and
closest to the
source material
Proficient work
and close to the
source material
Approaching
Proficiency in
capturing the
source
material
Basic work with
recognizable
elements
somewhat close
to the source
material
Basic work but
fails to look lie
the source
material
Efficient Use of
Technique with
the Material
(Workmanship)
Shows
workmanship
comparable to
the Art Period
Shows
workmanship
close to the Art
Period
Shows
workmanship
that is
identifiable to
the Art Period
Shows
workmanship
that has little
resemblance to
the Art Period
Workmanship
shows no
resemblance
from the Art
Period
Creativity Shows a work
that has an
advance
blending of the
limited
materials into a
cohesive work
Shows a work
that has a
proficient
blending of the
limited
materials into a
cohesive work
Shows a work
that is able to
blend the
limited
materials into
a reasonable
cohesive work
Shows a work
that is able to
blend the
limited
materials but
work is not
cohesive
Shows a work
that is not
able to blend
the materials
into a cohesive
work.
Visual Impact Work very
much captures
the attention of
the audience
based on its
merits
Work captures
the attention of
the audience
based on its
merits
Work captures
the attention
of the
audience
based on its
merits and
demerit
Work captures
the attention of
the audience
but more on its
demerit than
merit
Work captures
the audience
attention
because of its
demerit