Prehistoric Art
40,000 BCE-1000 BCE
Stonehenge
Post and Lintel: This architectural
system and building method has
been commonly used for centuries to
support the weight of the structure
located above the openings created
by windows and doors. The beam
must past over the tops of the
supporters.
Stonehenge
Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire England. C.
2750-1500 BCE.
• A henge is a circle of stones or
posts, often surrounded by a ditch
with built-up embankments.
Lion-Human
•
Lion-Human is an example of
sculpture in the round.
• Lion-Human is significant because it
is an example of creativity.
Lion-Human
Hohlenstein-Stadel, Germany. C.
30,000-26,000 BCE. Mammoth ivory,
height 11 1/4”
Woman “Venus” of Willendorf
• This sculptures is an example of a
sculpture in the round.
• Art historians do not know
exactly why this sculpture was
created, but they believe it may
be a fertility votive.
• A Fertility Votive is a religlious
statue that was created to
increase the possibility of
women getting pregnant and
having healthy babies.
• Why do you think art historians
believe this may be a Fertility
votive?
Woman from Willendorf
Austria. C. 24,000 BCE.
Limestone, height 4 1/2”
What or who is Venus?
• Venus is the Roman Goddess of
Beauty and Fertility. Archelogists
began to refer to all Prehistoric
Sculptures of women as Venus.
For example the Woman of
Willendorf used to be known as
the Venus of Willendorf.
Woman from Ostrava Petrokovice
• Used to be known as Venus
from Ostrava Petrokovice
• This sculpture is thought
to be a representation of a
young athletic woman.
• Suggests an animated
pose, with one hip slightly
raised and a knee bent as if
she were walking
Woman from Ostrava Petrokovice
Czech Republic. C. 23,000 BCE.
Hematite, height 1 1/4.
Comparison
• How are these
sculptures similar
representations of
women?
• How are they
different?
Bison
• This sculpture is of two
bison leaning against a ridge
of a rock.
• This sculpture is modeled in
high relief.
• To make the animals even more
lifelike, their creator engraved short
parallel lines below their necks to
represent their shaggy coats.
Bison
Le Tuc d’Audonbert, France. C.
13,000 BCE. Unbaked clay, length
25”
Cave Paintings
• Artists used various techniques to “paint” on
the cave walls.
• They often would chew a piece of charcoal to
dilute the pigment with saliva and water and
then blowing the mixture on the surface of a
wall.
• They would also draw with fingers or blocks
of ocher and daubing with a paintbrush made
of hair or moss.
•In some prehistoric caves three stages of
image creation can been seen-- engraved lines
using flakes of flint, followed by a color wash of
ocher and manganese, and a final engraving to
emphasize shapes and details.
Lascaux Cave
Cave Paintings
• The Cave Paintings of
Lascaux include images of cows,
bulls, horses, and deer.
• The Lascaux Cave is made
up of 600 paintings and 1,500
engravings.
Hall of Bulls
• The animals appear in
rows, face to face, tail to
tail and even painted on
top of each other.
• Horns, Eyes, and hooves are
shown as seen from the front,
yet heads and bodies are
drawn in profile in a system
known as twisted perspective.
Hall of Bulls
Lascaux Cave, Dorodogne, France. C.
15,000 BCE. Paint on limestone.
Create your own Cave Painting
Things you will
need:
•Manilla Paper
•Paper Towel
•Stick of Vine
Charcoal
•Chalk Pastels (colors
of your choice)
• Using charcoal and oil pastels, create your
own cave painting.
• Must include atleast 3 animals.
• Must fill up entire page.
•Chalk pastels will stain clothes do
not wipe your hands on your
clothes or anyone else’s clothes.
•Chalk Pastels are extremely
messy and create dust. DO NOT
BLOW OR BRUSH DUST ONTO
THE FLOOR! Gently brush dust
onto a paper towel and throw
away.
•DO NOT use water until you have
brushed all loose dust on a paper
towel.