Ancient civilization first started in
Mesopotamia (
The name comes from a Greek
word meaning “between rivers,”
referring to the land between the Tigris
and Euphrates rivers, but the region can
be broadly defined to include the area
that is now eastern Syria, southeastern
Turkey, and most of Iraq.)
Sumerian city-state (the most famous)
Religious buildings and temples
About 3100 BCE- beginnings of
monumental architecture in
Mesopotamia, invention of writing
Egypt, ( for more than 2, 000 years),
was one of the richest and the most
civilized of the ancient world.
King Menes or King Narmer- the first
ruler who united Egypt under one
government and founded the capital city
of Memphis.
In the Narmer palette, the human form is
presented in a way that became
standard in Egyptian art.
Statues of males were darker than
female ones.
The first great period of Egyptian
civilization, called the Old Kingdom,
began during the rule of King Joser.
Imhotep-King Joser's first minister,
architect of the Step Pyramid at
Saqqara- the first stone pyramid in
history and the first of the many
pyramids to appear during the next 1,
000 years.
Pyramid of Giza ( Pyramid of Cheops,
Pyramid of Khufu)- the oldest and the
largest of the three pyramids in the Giza
pyramid complex bordering what is now El
Giza Egypt. it is the oldest of the Seven
Wonders of the ancient World, and the only
one to remain largely intact.
The temple of Dei el-Bahari- the most
beautiful of the temples, built by Queen
Hatshepsut in 1470, series of terraces was
surrounded by colonnades (a row of
columns supporting a roof, an entablature,
or arcade) and connected by ramps. This
temple was built entirely of fine limestone
Temple of Ramses II built (about 1250) was
made entirely of sandstone- a coarse
material that is easy to work with.
Temples of the gods were built as great
palaces, with stables, orchards and
farmlands.
Daily rituals and seasonal festivals were
pictured on the temple walls.
Rulers prided themselves on what they had
done to improve the shrines of the gods.
 (Leano, R. & Agtani, J. M. (2018). Art
Appreciation for College Students. Manila:
Mindshapers.)
China has one of the oldest continuous
artistic traditions in the world.   of Arts
Earliest Chinese painting was ornamental,
not representational
parietal art (cave paintings, 40, 000 years
ago)
red hand stencil (oldest known cave
painting, Maltravieso cave, Caceres, Spain)
( Neanderthal)
Earliest known cave paintings/drawings of
animals, 35, 000 years old, South Sulawesi,
Indonesia
oldest animal cave painting-pig, 35, 400
years old, Timpuseng vae, Sulawesi,
Indonesia
Earliest figurative paintings, 30, 000-32, 000
years old
Chauvet cave (Venus and the Sorcerer)
Coliboaia cave in Romania
Tabon caves (Lipuun Point, north of Quezon
municipality & western part of Palawan)
Tabon man (1962), burial jar
Chinese jade, bronze, ceramics, silk,
calligraphy
Buddhism
Shintoism
Japanese Jomon (cord-marked)
Ukiyo-e (figures of the floating world)
Basic Assumptions, Functions and Nature
Basic Assumptions of Arts
• Assumption is a thing accepted as true or
certain to happen, without proof. Some
assumptions about art:
• Art has been created by all people at all
times, in all countries and it lives because it
is well-liked and enjoyed
• Art involves experience.
Art is not nature; nature is not art.
• Art is cultural.
• Art is a form of creation.
• Art is subjective
Nature of Arts
• Art is a diverge range of human activities
in creating visual, auditory or performing
artworks, expressing the author’s
imaginative or technical skill, intended to be
appreciated for their beauty or emotional
power.
• Art represents reality
• Art is an expression
Art serves as a means of communication of
emotions.
• Art matters.
• Art is universal.
• Art is creation
Functions of Art
• Personal Function **expressive art
therapy **religious art
Social Function Arts perform a social
function when: **

Art influences social behavior (political

function) **Art is used for display and
celebration.
Physical Function
1. Form and function
2. Architecture
3. Community Planning
***Residential districts
*** Industrial and commercial areas
*** Civic centers
*** parks, plazas and malls *** streets and
roads
4. Function and beauty