ART APPRECIATION c.
Upper Paleolithic (40,000-10,000 BCE)
ARTA211
HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF ART
PRE-HISTORIC ERA
■ Pre-history is a period where there was no
written works.
■ Prehistoric Era is also known as the Stone Age
Culture.
■ There are three (3) phases or periods under the
Prehistoric Era which shows the transition of the
Stone Age art.
– Paleolithic
– Mesolithic
– Neolithic
Paleolithic Period (Old Stone Age) is the longest phase
of Stone Age culture. Paleolithic is derived from the
Greek words paleos - old and lithos - stone.
a. Lower Paleolithic (2,500,000-200,000 BCE)
Lower Paleolithic period witnessed the emergence of
three different tool-based cultures:
(1) Olduwan culture (2,500,000-1,500,000 BCE);
■ Oldowan Culture describes the first stone tools
used by prehistoric man of the lower
paleolithic.
■ The key feature of Oldowan tool manufacture
was the method of chipping stones to create a
chopping or cutting edge. Most tools were
fashioned using a single strike of one rock
against another to create a sharp-edged flake.
(2) Acheulean culture (1,650,000-100,000 BCE);
■ Acheulean culture was the most important and
dominant tool-making tradition of the Lower
Paleolithic era.
■ Acheulean tool users with their signature style
oval and pear-shaped hand-axes were the first
humans to expand successfully across Eurasia.
(3) Clactonian culture (c.400,000–300,000 BCE).
■ Clactonian describes a culture of European flint
tool manufacture or "art", associated with
Homo erectus.
■ Clactonian tools were sometimes notched,
indicating they were attached to a handle or
shaft.
Lower Paleolithic Rock Art
■ The earliest recorded examples of human art
were created during the Lower Paleolithic in the
caves and rock shelters of central India.
■ The next oldest prehistoric art from the Lower
Paleolithic comes almost at the end of the
period. Two primitive figurines - the Venus of
Berekhat Ram (found on the Golan Heights)
and the Venus of Tan-Tan (discovered in
Morocco) were dated to between roughly
200,000 and 500,000 BCE (the former is more
ancient).
b. Middle Paleolithic (200,000-40,000 BCE)
■ The dominant Paleolithic culture was
Mousterian, a flake tool industry largely
characterized by the point and side scraper,
associated (in Europe) with Homo
neanderthalensis.
■ Tool forms featured a wide variety of specialized
shapes, including barbed and serrated edges.
These new blade designs helped to reduce the
need for humans to use their teeth to perform
certain tasks, thus contributing to a diminution of
facial and jaw features among later humans.
■ One of the few works of art dating from the
Middle Paleolithic, is the pair of ochre rocks
decorated with abstract cross-hatch patterns
found in the Blombos Caves east of Cape
Town.
■ After Blombos, comes the Diepkloof eggshell
engravings, dated to 60,000 BCE.
■ The Upper Paleolithic period witnessed the
beginning of fine art, featuring, drawing,
modelling, sculpture, and painting, as well
as jewelry, personal adornments and early forms
of music and dance.
■ The three main art forms were cave
painting, rock engraving and
miniature figurative carvings.
Upper Paleolithic Cave Painting
■ During this period, prehistoric society began to
accept ritual and ceremony - of a quasi-religious
or shaman-type nature.
Mesolithic Period is the transitional phase after the
Paleolithic, the beginning of farming, with its cultivation
and animal husbandry - ending with the spread of
agriculture.
■ Mesolithic cultures are characterized by small,
lighter flint tools, quantities of fishing tackle,
stone adzes, bows and arrows. Very gradually,
at least in Europe, hunting and fishing was
superseded by farming and the domestication of
animals.
Neolithic period (New Stone Age) is characterized by
farming, domestication of animals, settled communities
and the emergence of important ancient civilizations
(e.g. Sumerian and Egyptian). Portable art and
monumental architecture dominate.
■ There was a greater focus on ornamentation and
decoration.
■ Jade Carving - one of the great specialties
of Chinese art - first appeared during the era of
Neolithic culture, as does Chinese
lacquerware and porcelain.
■ Portable Art - With greater settlement in villages
and other small communities, rock painting
begins to be replaced by more portable art.
■ Ceramics
The major medium of Neolithic civilization was
ceramic pottery. The finest examples of which
(mostly featuring geometric designs or
animal/plant motifs) were produced around the
region of Mesopotamia (Iran, Iraq) and the
eastern Mediterranean.
■ Other important art-related trends which surface
during the Neolithic art include writing and
religion.
Stone tools represented the "art" of this period - the
key form of creative human expression.
Bronze Age (In Europe, 3000 BCE - 1200 BCE)
■ Characterized by the development of metallurgy,
in particular copper mining and smelting, along
with tin-mining and smelting, as reflected in the
exquisite bronze, gold and silver sculptures.
ANCIENT PERIOD
■ Art during this period to the artifacts from ancient
civilizations such as Mesopotamia, Egypt,
Greece and Rome.
Arts in the Ancient World
Arts of Mesopotamia
■ An ancient empire in what is known as modern
day Iraq.
■ Generally, art was made by carving stone relief
used to decorate imperial monuments. The
reliefs depict royal affairs, such as hunting and
war.
■ Animal forms, particularly horses and lions,
were represented in great detail, while human
figures were of less significance.
■ The temple becomes the predominant building
type in Mesopotamia.
a. Architecture of the Sumerians – The typical
building of the Sumerians was Ziggurat.
 b. Architecture of the Assyrians – The Sargon’s
palace stood as a representative of the Assyrian
sculpture.
■ The palace of Sargon was built above the
ground level of the city to convey the idea
that the king stood between the Gods and
his people.
c. Architecture of the Neo-Babylonians – The
Ishtar-gate of Babylon was built by Babylonian
King Nebuchadnezzar II.
■ Ishtar gate is lined with several beasts done
in brightly colored glazed bricks and
dedicated to the Goddess Ishta.
d. Architecture of the Persians – The royal
palace at Persepolis is a representative of
Persian architecture.
Arts of Ancient Egypt
■ Egyptian art was expressed through painting,
sculpture, and jewelry.
■ The artwork embodies a unique style and makes
use of an ancient form of symbolism.
■ Much of the remaining art comes from tombs
and monuments.
EGYPTIAN SCULPTURE
1. First Dynastic Period – The subject matters of
the sculpture are the sun, moon, stars and
sacred animals.
2. Old Kingdom Period – Portrait sculpture was
emphasized. Five lifelike structures existed in
every home. The faces of statues were always
calm and grave.
3. Middle Kingdom Period – Faces of statues
depicted individual moods but their bodies were
still rigid and straight in posture.
4. New Kingdom – Figures were lifelike and
vigorous looking. The figures were depicted in
usual poses as walking, dancing and bending.
EGYPTIAN ARCHITECTURE
1. Architecture of the Old Kingdom – the
Mastaba, the stepped pyramid of Zoser, and the
Pyramids at Giza are examples of architecture.
2. Architecture of the Middle Kingdom – among
the characteristic remains of the Middle
Kingdom are the rock-cut tombs.
3. Architecture of the New Kingdom – it
represents another version of the combination of
the horizontal and vertical axes. The structure
arises from the valley floor in three colonnaded
terraces connected by ramps.
Arts of Ancient Greece
■ Sculpture and architecture from Greek
civilization have influenced others throughout
history.
■ Known for their architectural monuments as well
as sculptural masterpieces, the Greek’s were
also expert craftsman. They crafted and painted
beautiful vessels used for everyday life.
GREEK PAINTING
Greek Art (painting) was seen in Four Period:
1. Formative or Pre-Greek period – motif was
sea and nature.
2. First Greek period – largely Egyptian influence.
3. Golden Age
4. Hellenistic Period – heightened individualism,
tragic mood and contorted faces
GREEK SCULPTURE
Prehistoric Greeks sculpture had gone through
Three Periods.
1. Daedalic Period – marble was used as material.
Nude male statues were usually executed.
2. Classical Age – this was the golden age or Age
of Pericles. Temples of Gods and Goddesses
were adorned with sculptured figure.
3. Later Greek Period – male and female figures
were shown with very little or no clothing at all.
AEGEAN AND ANCIENT GREEK ARCHITECTURE
a. The Aegean Architecture – the Palace of
Knossos in Crete is an example of Aegean
architecture. The oblong shape of the court and
the general layout of the palace show a
centralized arrangement.
b. Ancient Greek Architecture – is essentially
columnar and trabeated. The columns taper
towards the top.
Three parts of Greek temple: (Architectural Order)
1. Platform or Base
2. Columns
3. Superstructure or entablature
Architectural Orders
1. Doric order – Was the earliest of the Greek
architectural orders. Doric order is massive and
sever in appearance.
2. Ionic and Corinthian order – Were regarded as
feminine. It does not consist of volutes but of
stylized acanthus leaves
Arts of Ancient Rome
■ Greatly influenced by Greek culture, the Ancient
Romans excelled in painting, sculpting, and
architectural design.
■ Mythological subject matter predominated art at
this time.
The Prehistoric Roman Art had gone through periods:
1. Etruscan period – subject matters of painting
were on ancestor worship; catacombs and
sarcophagi.
2. Roman period – the subject matters of painting
were commemorative statues, sarcophagi,
frescoes, designs with vine motifs.
ROMAN SCULPTURE
■ The Roman sculpture was more represented in
bust forms of famous men and women.
■ The figures showed their individual imperfections
as of they were in real life.
ROMAN ARCHITECTURE
■ The Etruscan house was a simple
rectangular structure which grew
progressively more complex
■ Etruscan Temple was intended to function
primarily as an interior space.
■ The ancient Roman Architecture is a
combination of axis and center.
MEDIEVAL PERIOD (MIDDLE AGES)
■ The Middle Ages marks a period in between
Classical and Modern history (hence “middle”)
■ It was at this time that Christianity was being
spread throughout Europe and so the art and
architecture follows a religious tradition
■ Medieval is a term used to describe the art
created over a span of 1,000 years during the
middle ages.
■ Art was largely produced at this time with a
variety of medium including illuminated
manuscripts, paintings, sculptures, stained
glass, metal works, mosaics and even
textiles.
BYZANTINE
■ With the spread of Christianity throughout
Europe, art and architecture during the
Byzantine era followed a religious theme.
■ Paintings, mosaics, and sculpture were common
forms of artistic expression.
■ Also important at this time were illuminated bible
manuscripts.
ROMANESQUE
■ Following tradition at this time, the Romanesque
period is marked by lavishly decorated
architecture, manuscripts and embroidery.
GOTHIC
■ Developing in France out of the Romanesque
period, Gothic art begin with the construction
of monumental architecture.
 ■ Very ornately designed cathedrals with
luminous stained glass windows were
constructed at this time.
RENAISSANCE
■ Known as a period of “rebirth”, this was a time
when artists looked back to ancient traditions
while applying new scientific knowledge.
■ The development of linear perspective and a
greater understanding of human anatomy
became two concepts that would forever
change the way that artists render the natural
world on a two dimensional surface.
■ Some of the most influential artists of this time
include Michaelangelo, DaVinci, Raphael and
Botticelli.
■ Common forms of artistic expression during the
Renaissance include painting, fresco, and
sculpture.
■ Centered on the church, art was commonly
themed around religion, mythology and
portraiture. However, the artists of the
Renaissance were mainly interested in
capturing the essence and beauty of nature.
BAROQUE
■ The Baroque period can be characterized as art
that conveys a religious theme, through
movement and emotion.
■ Dramatic biblical depictions are common in
frescoes and paintings. During the Baroque
period, artists commissioned to paint portraits
were interested in depicting the wealth and
social status of the patrons.
■ Artists use symbolism and focus on the detailed
rendering of clothing helps us to understand the
importance of the figures being depicted.
ROCOCO
■ Keeping in tradition with Baroque art, Rococo
was a period of ornate interior design and
decorative arts.
■ From the beautiful frescoes to the lavish
furniture, Rococo was a period of royal luxury.
NEOCLASSICISM
■ A reformation of art and architecture,
neoclassical art sought to bring back classical
elements of the Ancient Greeks and Romans.
■ Art was now moving away from the decorative
and ornate Baroque and Rococo styles.
ROMANTICISM AND REALISM
■ Romanticism marks a period in which artists
sought to remove themselves from social
and political influences.
■ Artists were interested in creating images that
engage strong emotion within the beauty of a
natural environment.
REALISM
■ In response to the emotion of Romanticism,
artists instead began to create images that
depicted objective reality.
■ A focus on real-life scenes characterizes the
realist style.
IMPRESSIONISM
■ Developing out of France, this period is
characterized by vivid colors and loose,
visible brushwork.
■ Artists began to investigate the changing
properties of light in everyday subject matter.
POST IMPRESSIONISM
■ Post Impressionist such as Vincent Van Gogh
continued to develop images with vivid colors,
dynamic brushwork and real-life subject matter.
■ The Post Impressionists took these ideologies
further as they experimented with the
expressive qualities of paint application and
an emphasis of geometric forms.
MODERN PERIOD
EXPRESSIONISM
■ Beginning as a cultural reform of art and poetry
in Germany, this period in art history is coined as
“avant- garde”, or experimental and innovative.
■ Artists became interested in depicting an
emotional experience rather than reality based
imagery.
FAUVISM
■ French for the wild beasts, Fauvism became a
period artists kept in tradition with Impressionist
style, while exploring color and painterly qualities
within their work.
CUBISM
■ Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque are the
creators of this unique artistic style.
■ Characterized by broken, reassembled and
abstracted forms, cubism transformed art into a
unique modern style.
FUTURISM
■ Originating in Italy, this style of art sought to
transform how we see old forms in new
innovative ways.
■ The Futurists explored every medium of art,
including interior design and theatre.
DADAISM
■ A cultural movement rooted in Switzerland,
Dada was a response to the seriousness of
war.
■ Rejecting traditional standards of art, Dada
artists found art and humor in the
meaningless objects of everyday life.
■ Dada art is characterized as Anti-war and
Anti-art. Dada was a foundation for future art
movements such as surrealism and pop art.
SURREALISM
■ Characterized by its dreamlike qualities,
Surrealism became a way for artists to create
a unique world of an imagined reality.
■ Artists such as Salvador Dali experimented
with reality and psychological elements.
ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONISM
■ A post-WW2 movement, Abstract
Expressionism is known for its spontaneous
and subconscious style.
■ Instead of working with representational
forms, the Abstract Expressionists’ work
interprets emotional intensity.
ACTION PAINTING
■ Also known as “Gestural Abstraction”, this
unique style of painting explores the
application and expression of medium.
■ Jackson Pollock is known as the
quintessential Action painter. Drips, drizzles
and splatters are characteristics of his
unique style of painting.
COLOR FIELD PAINTING
■ Originating in NY City, this abstract form of
painting is known by its application of flat
fields of color.
■ A focus on a refined and consistent
application of paint is characteristic of this
style.
POP ART
■ Emerging in Britain in the 1950’s, Pop art
explored the influences of popular culture
such as advertising, comic books and
cultural objects.
 ■ Pop art was innovative in that it was the first
style of art to emerge that used mass-
produced imagery in a fine arts context.

MINIMALISM
■ A post-WW2 movement, Minimalism became
an expression of the basic and simplified
form.
■ Minimalism is known as a reaction against
the Abstract Expressionists.

OP ART
■ The art of optical illusion. Artists such as
Vasarely and Riley sought to explore the
illusion of space while experimenting with
line, shape, pattern and color.
■ The result is an impression of movement,
vibration, swelling, warping and hidden
imagery.

POST MODERN ART

■ Today art continues to transform.
■ Artists work in a variety of medium including
drawing, painting, sculpture, mixed-media,
collage, printmaking, photography, ceramics
and installation art to name a few.