Prebles' Artforms An Introduction to the Visual Arts ELEVENTH EDITION CHAPTER 15 From the Earliest Art to the Bronze Age
Learning Objectives 1. Trace the origins of early art in the Paleolithic and Neolithic periods. 2. Contrast scholarly theories about the cultural function of the earliest artworks. 3. State technological and socio-economic changes that gave rise to the first civilizations. 4. Compare the stylistic and cultural features of art from Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt. 5. Discuss art's memorial function throughout history.
Introduction Art history Differs from other kinds of history because works from the past exist in the present One-to-one communication occurs Glimpse into lives of preceding humans No objective "better" in comparing societies or even art of different times in the same society
Prehistoric Sites and Early Centers of Civilization. [Fig. 15-1]
The Paleolithic Period Crude stonecutting tools roughly 2 million years ago in east-central Africa Conceptual imagination advantageous over other species Refinement of tools made from stone Awareness of form function in making them symmetrical Sprinkled powders and beads Accompanied burial sites
The Paleolithic Period Debate of when art began Engraved ochre from 77,000 years ago Abstract pattern Unlikely for practical use Paleolithic art Earliest findings 40,000 years ago
Engraved ochre. c.75,000 BCE. Length 4". From Blombos Cave, South Africa. Image courtesy of Christopher Henshilwood. [Fig. 15-2]
The Paleolithic Period "Stone period" of found stone figures Hohle Fels figure Oldest surviving carved human Worn as necklace Woman of Willendorf Similar exaggerated female features to Hohle Fels figure May have been religious art
Hohle Fels figure, front and side views. c. 35,000 BCE. Carved mammoth tusk. Height 2-1 2". Photograph: H. Jensen. University of Tu bingen. [Fig. 15-3]
Woman of Willendorf. c.25,000 20,000 BCE. Limestone. Height 4-1 2". akg-image/erich Lessing. [Fig. 15-4]
The Paleolithic Period Paleolithic paintings European style rarely show humans Expressive naturalism Possible purpose to bring spirits of animals into hunt-related rituals Chauvet Cave Oldest known set of cave paintings Above-ground rock art in Utah
Web Resource: The Cave of Chauvet Pont D'Arc Wall painting of animals, Chauvet Cave, Pont d'arc, France. c.28,000 BCE. French ministry of Culture and Communication, Regional Direction for Cultural Affairs Rhône-Alpes region Regional department of archaeology. Slide no. 10 Photograph: Jean Clottes. [Fig. 15-5]
Great Gallery. 7400 5200 BCE. Height of tallest figures 7. Pictographs at Horseshoe Canyon, Utah. Photograph:. [Fig. 15-6]
The Paleolithic Period Rock art carvings Petroglyphs Made by scratching or pecking surface of exposed stone Dampier Archipelago petroglyph complex Age difficult to determine as location is apart from soil sediment
Podcast: Rock Art: Meanings and Functions Murujuga petroglyphs. Up to 10,000 years old. Northwest Australia. Robert Bednarik. [Fig. 15-7]
The Neolithic Period Shift from Paleolithic period a major turning point in human history May have arisen near modern Iraq Agricultural revolution Required storage in the form of clay pots Neolithic art Reflects shift in living patterns Geometric abstract art
The Neolithic Period Neolithic art Motifs derived from plant/animal forms Earthenware beaker from Susa Ibexes abstracted into triangular and circular shapes Pottery from China Burial urn from Kansu Province Bold interlocking design Design probably from bottom of cowrie shells
Earthenware beaker with ibexes. c.4000 BCE. Painted terra cotta. Height 11-1 4". Susa, Iran. Musée du Louvre. RMN-Grand Palais. [Fig. 15-8]
Burial urn, Kansu type. Neolithic period, c.2200 BCE. Pottery with painted decoration. Height 14-1 8". China. The Seattle Art Museum. Eugene Fuller Memorial Collection (51.194). Photograph: Paul Macapia. [Fig. 15-9]
The Neolithic Period Neolithic structures Mostly primitive Stonehenge Sophisticated Replacement of wooden structures with stone Debated function Solar or lunar temple For rituals or honoring the dead
Closer Look: Stonehenge Web Resource: Stonehenge Images and Commentary Video: Students on Site: Stonehenge Stonehenge. c.2000 BCE. Wiltshire, UK. English Heritage (Aerofilms Collection). [Fig. 15-10]
The Beginnings of Civilization "Civilization" A term distinguishing cultures that have complex social orders and high degrees of technical development Elements Agriculture and animal husbandry Occupational specialization Writing Production of bronze
The Beginnings of Civilization Four fertile river valleys Tigris and Euphrates in Iraq Mesopotamia Nile River Egypt Indus River in west Pakistan/India Yellow River in northern China
Mesopotamia "The land between the rivers" Sumer City-states Hierarchy of nature gods worshiped in ziggurats "Sacred mountain" linking heaven and earth Sun-baked bricks forming platforms on a solid base with a shrine on top
Ziggurat of Ur-Nammu. c.2100 BCE. Iraq. Photograph: SuperStock, Inc. [Fig. 15-11]
Mesopotamia Sumer King's tomb in city of Ur Bearded bull's head signifying royalty Simplified narrative panels on soundbox Akkadia Animals take on human roles Under authority of single king Ruler's head highly sophisticated Intricate expression and hairstyle
Closer Look: Plaque from the Soundbox of Great Lyre, Ur Lyre, front Plaque. Reconstructed lyre from "The King's Grave" tomb RT 789, Ur. c.2650 2550 BCE. Wood with gold, lapis lazuli, shell, and silver. University of Pennsylvania museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia. Penn museum object B17694, image 150888. [Fig. 15-12a]
Lyre, soundbox. Reconstructed lyre from "The King's Grave" tomb RT 789, Ur. c.2650 2550 BCE. Wood with gold, lapis lazuli, shell, and silver. University of Pennsylvania museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia. Penn museum object B17694, image 150888. [Fig. 15-12b]
Head of an Akkadian Ruler. c.2300 2200 BCE. Bronze. Height 12". Nineveh. Photograph: Himer Fotoarchiv, Munich, Germany. [Fig. 15-13]
Egypt Distinctive styles that remained relatively unchanged for 2,500 years Great Pyramids Built as burial vaults for pharaohs (godkings) Huge stone blocks stacked without mortar Interiors with narrow passageways
Architectural Simulation: Mastaba to Pyramid Web Resource: PBS Nova site on the Pyramids of Giza The Great Pyramids of Giza, Egypt. Pyramid of Mycerinus, c.2500 BCE.; Pyramid of Chefren, 2650 BCE.; Pyramid of Cheops, c.2570 BCE. Design Pics/SuperStock. [Fig. 15-14]
The Ancient Middle East. [Fig. 15-15]
Egypt Tombs Preservation of body extended life beyond death Effort in embalming bodies and displaying artifacts informs today's knowledge of ancient Egypt Funerary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut Grandiose structure among cliffs First exploits of a famous woman in art
Closer Look: Funerary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut Funerary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut. Deir el-bahari, c.1490 1460 BCE. Tom Till. [Fig. 15-19]
Art Forms Us: Commemoration Memorials Tempietto Based on ancient round monuments Classical tradition 16 columns reflected in pilasters Shallow rectangular columns Metopes of Christian symbols Memorial to the life of a religious figure Contrasts Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Video: Students on Site: The Tempietto Donato Bramante. Tempietto. 1502 1510. Church of S. Pietro in Montorio, Rome. Photograph. [Fig. 15-16]
Art Forms Us: Commemoration Memorials Christian Boltanski, No Man's Land Park Avenue Armory in New York City Installation of rusted metal boxes and 30 tons of used clothing 25-foot-tall pile of lost garments in center Anonymous detritus of some unknown but vivid catastrophe
Christian Boltanski. No Man's Land. 2010. Clothing, rig, pick, lights, and steel beams. Installation in Park Avenue Armory, New York. Courtesy of the Artist and Marian Goodman Gallery, New York. 2013 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York ADAGP, Paris. [Fig. 15-17]
Art Forms Us: Commemoration Memorials An Ofrenda for Dolores del Rio Alter for one of Hollywood's first Latin American screen actresses Public act of private devotion Constructed with film stills, satin curtains, film cans, dried flowers, and half-burned candles Representation of meaning and power given to a generation of Chicanos
Amalia Mesa-Bains. An Ofrenda for Dolores del Rio. 1984. Mixed media installation. 96" 72" 48". Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C. 2013. Photograph Smithsonian American Art Museum/Art Resource/Scala, Florence. [Fig. 15-18]
Egypt Sculpture Compact, solidly structured figures embodying qualities of strength and geometry Similar to architecture King Menkaura (Mycerinus) and Queen Attention to human anatomy but within geometric scheme Frontal pose for royal portraits with left foot forward
King Menkaura (Mycerinus) and Queen Khamerernebty. c.2490 2472 BCE. Greywacke stone. 56" 22-1 2" 21-3 4". Giza, Egypt. Menkaure Valley Temple. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Harvard University. Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition 11.1738. Photograph 2013 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. [Fig. 15-20]
Egypt Sculpture Mask from tomb of Tutankhamen Only tomb to have remained intact until modern times Inlaid gold Formal blend of naturalism and abstract idealism Human figure in either completely frontal or completely profile view
Mask from mummy case. c.1340 BCE. Gold inlaid with enamel and semiprecious stones. Height 21-1 4". Tomb of Tutankhamen. Photograph: Ju rgen Liepe. [Fig. 15-21]
Egypt Wall painting from the Tomb of Nebamun Flat shapes portraying elements of each subject Clear, non-confusing shapes Hierarchic scale Size of humans relates to importance Attention to detail of animal life Includes hieroglyphs
Wall painting from the Tomb of Nebamun. Thebes, Egypt. c.1450 BCE. Paint on dry plaster. The British Museum The Trustees. [Fig. 15-22]