Chapter 1 Art in the Stone Age

Chapter 1 |Art In The Stone Age| Key Terms Architectural Terms Henge - a prehistoric monument consisting of a circle of stone or wooden uprights Post-and-Lintel (trabeated architecture) - is a simple construction method using a header/beam(lintel) as the horizontal member supported at its ends by two vertical columns or pillars(posts) Megalith - A large stone used to construct a structure or monument, such as a tomb or a stone circle Tumulus - An artificial mound, especially a mound built over a tomb. Latin, “burial mound.” In Etruscan architecture, tumuli cover one or more subterranean multichambered tombs cut out of the local tufa (limestone). Tumuli are also characteristic of the Japanese Kofun period of the third and fourth centuries CE. Corbel Vaulting - is a vault-like construction method, which uses architectural technique of corbelling to span a space or void in a structure; two walls meet an arch. Art Terms Twisted Perspective - an artistic convention that presents figures in unnatural poses to emphasize the important distinguishing characteristics. Composite View - A convention of representation in which part of a figure is shown in profile and another part of the same figure is shown frontally; also called twisted perspective Incise - To mark or cut the surface of an object for decoration Social & Political Terms Paleolithic - Refers to the Late Upper Paleolithic period; Roughly around 40 thousand years ago through the Pleistocene ice age, which ended in 8,000 BCE. Homo sapiens and their everdeveloping ability to create tools and weapons. Mesolithic - The “middle” Stone Age, between the Paleolithic and the Neolithic ages 1|Page Neolithic - Describes all arts and crafts created by societies who had abandoned the seminomadic lifestyle of hunting and gathering food in favour of farming and animal husbandry. The “new” Stone Age. Anatolia - The art and architecture of ancient Antolian civilizations; copper finial (Finial - a distinctive ornament at the apex of a roof, pinnacle, canopy, or similar structure in a building). Mesopotamia - Is formed from the ancient words “meso”, meaning between or in the middle of, and “potamos”, meaning river. Mesopotamia ranges from the early use of ceramics which were painted with abstract patterns, to the creation of sculpture effigies for religious purposes, and styles used in Mesopotamian architecture to create their ornate temples and palace gates. Other Terms Mural - A wall painting; Muralist - A mural painter Radiocarbon Dating - A method of measuring the decay rate of carbon isotopes in organic matter to determine the age of organic materials such as wood and fiber Shamans - A religious leader who gains access to the world of spirits through trances Engraving - The process of incising a design in hard material, often a metal plate (usually copper); also, the print or impression made from such a plate Burin - A pointed tool used from engraving or incising Find spot - Place where an artifact was found; provenance Chisel - A tool with a straight blade at one end for cutting and shaping stone or wood Dry Masonry - A mortarless stone construction technique in which the stones are held in place by their own weight. Passage Grave - A prehistoric tomb with a long stone corridor leading to a burial chamber covered by a great tumulus. Trilithons - A pair of monoliths topped with a lintel; found in megalithic structures. Lecture Notes Art pieces are usually influenced by the artist’s culture. Gothic period between 12-1300s 2|Page King Tut’s Throne (uncovered in 1922 by Howard Carter) Lions protected the pharaoh; cobras represented the pharaoh (cobra is directly presented on the pharaoh’s crown); Lotus flowers represented the rebirth and the afterlife. Tut would ask his silversmiths to create his throne (made with wood and combined with gold leaf). His foot rest represented the culture of Egypt. In ancient Egypt it was normal for the royalty to pro-create within the family to keep the blood pure. King Tut had changed Egypt’s old religion to new religion. Perfume was a custom for religion ceremonies. King Tut and his wife/sister Ankhesenamun sandal’s represent the equality between each other. Ankhesenamun was King Tut’s trustworthy advisor. Pharaoh’s would be buried with what they wanted to take to the afterlife, his chariot was buried with him. In Egypt’s culture it’s wrong to damage the preserved mummies and believed that anyone who does will be cursed. The archeologists who damaged King Tut’s mummy suffered to “King Tut’s Curse”. Ankhesenamun wasn’t buried with him but was meant to be, she disappeared from records after writing a letter. Entartete Kunst “A nightmare of an exhibit that really happened.” - Kenneth Baker 1937 Germany - Rise of the Nazi party; Hitler was voted into office because Germany was suffering. Hitler wanted to become an artist but was rejected from art school, he became upset and wanted to humiliate modern art. He ordered the Nazi’s to go to art museums and to burn/bury/destroy the art pieces. Vandalize the exhibits Entartete Kunst Exhibit; He did this so people would despite art. Kirchner an artist was humiliated by Hitler and later committed suicide. Entartete Kunst later became a successful art museum. Vincent painting was in the museum. Memorial exhibit in New York for the art pieces that were lost and some that were preserved. Nazi symbol was a Buddhism symbol that was flipped around. 3|Page Paleolithic Period - Art Paleo - is Greek for ancient/old Lithic - is Greek for stone Refers to the Late Upper Paleolithic period; Roughly around 30-40 thousand years ago through the Pleistocene ice age, which ended in 8,000 BCE. Homo sapiens and their ever-developing ability to create tools and weapons. Materials were raw pigments, clay and shells. They made artifacts that represented the things around them such as animals and women. First piece was founded in Africa. Would use blow pipes with raw pigments to reach the ceiling of caves to create their art pieces. Men weren’t often documented during the Paleolithic period. Animals were held highest compared to humans. Atlatl would determine the velocity of the spear they’ve through Title: Feline with Human Feet Artist: Unknown Date: ca. 28,000 BCE Style: Paleolithic Era: Old Stone Age/Prehistoric Size: 5” 4 1/4” Feline with Human Feet was founded in a cave, that was crafted with charcoal on stone. In the State Museum of Namibia, Windhoek. Title: Venus of Willendorf Artist: Unknown Date: ca. 28,000-25,000 BCE Style: Paleolithic Era: Old Stone Age/Prehistoric Size: 4 1/4” in high Small portable sculpture, theory that Venus of Willendorf (named after where she was founded) is a fertility goddess or simply a female figure that represent the continuation of the human race. Carved out of limestone with stone tools and was tinted in red pigment. Pre-standing sculpture. Natural History Museum, Vienna. 4|Page Title: Two Bison Artist: Unknown Date: ca. 15,000 - 10,000 BCE Style: Paleolithic Era: Old Stone Age/Prehistoric Size: Right bison 2’7/8” long Large relief sculpture that wasn’t meant to be portable like their other sculptures. They used the rock as the base and placed clay over top and carved the two bison's. Founded in a cave in France. Theory that the artist sculpted the two bison as an honor for giving their lives for the human’s to continue living. Title: Hall of Bulls Artist: Unknown Date: ca. 15,000 - 13,000 BCE Style: Paleolithic Era: Old Stone Age/Prehistoric Size: Largest Bull 11’6” long Was founded in a cave in Lascaux, France. Wasn’t discovered until 1940 by a boy and his dog, cave paintings and drawings are super rare to find. The cave paintings were made by anything they could find and covered the cave walls from top to bottom. Largest bull is 11x6 long. Ochre was used to paint the drawings. The some of the drawings are in different styles and theorized that many other artists added onto the piece. Theory to be a place of worshipping, used for good fortune, paint what they’ve hunted as a memory. All drawings are made profiled. No longer opened to the public because of the carbon dioxide that people released into the cave’s chamber. There’s a complete replicate of the Hall of Bulls for people to visit. 5|Page Neolithic Art Paleolithic ended in 9000 BCE, Neolithic was a slow burn; all arts and crafts created by societies who had abandoned the semi-nomadic lifestyle of hunting and gathering food in favour of farming and animal husbandry. The “new” Stone Age. First to install a system of trading and currency. Title: T-Shaped Pillar Artist: Unknown Date: ca. 9000 BCE Style: Neolithic Era: New Stone Age/Prehistoric Size: Founded in 1995 Gobekali Tepe, in turkey hill; theorized to be a dwelling(home) or a place of worshipping. Is a load bearing pillar that held up the dwellings. Pillar is located now in a museum (Still in Turkey), used bas relief/shallow relief. Animals in the Neolithic period were still held on to a higher regard, animals are stylized. Title: Human Figure Artist: Unknown Date: ca. 6750-6250 BCE Style: Neolithic Era: New Stone Age/Prehistoric Size: 3’ 5” Discovered in a burial site in Jordan, Ain Ghazal (northeast of Israel). Plaster shell and core is made of sticks and twigs. Eyes were made of shells. Handmade free-standing sculpture. There isn’t a specific gender for these human figures; burial sculptures are commonly made for the person. Humans become more detailed compared to animals in this New Stone Age. Some were decorated with clothes and tattoos. 6|Page Title: Deer Hunt Artist: Unknown Date: ca. 6000 BCE Style: Neolithic Era: New Stone Age/Prehistoric Founded in Turkey, Çatalhöyük, in a cave high up on a wall and is now in a museum in Turkey. The humans in the drawing are more detailed (painted hair, muscle definition) while animals are stylized compared to the Paleolithic period they were detailed. Thought to be a narrative. Composite pose. Charcoal and red ochre. Title: Stonehenge Artist: Unknown Date: 2,550 - 1,600 BCE Style: Neolithic Era: New Stone Age/Prehistoric Size: 17” - 20” Stonehenge is theorized to have multiple artists (Fact that its a theory); megalithic culture that created large architectural momental structures. First documented post-and-lintel structure. Originally there was two rings monolithic rings that were crafted with the same stone. Sarsen is a type of sand stone that was used, durable and manipulatable. Blue stone was used (volcanic type of rock), and neither Salisbury plain England, and Marlborough downs. Horse shoe inner ring, opening faces the lone rock (heel stone) summer solstice. Henges are circular stones. In middle ages, merlin was believed to have created the Stonehenge, another is a place of worshipping for Druids(sun worshippers), graveyard, a place of healing because bones were founded in Stonehenge, and Aliens. Could’ve had a small settlement around Stonehenge. Roughly cut stones indicted that they were in a hurry. 7|Page