FROM CAVE WALLS TO

CANVAS
History and Overview of Painting
Mr. Simon Paul R. Felismino, MA
 EARLY HISTORY
• The oldest known paintings are approximately 40,000 years
old. Anthropologist José Luis Sanchidrián believes the paintings
are more likely to have been painted by Neanderthals instead
of the early modern humans. (researchgate.net, web)

• The Grotte Chauvet in France is claimed by some historians to

be about 32,000 years old. They are engraved and painted
using red ochre and black pigment and show horses,
rhinoceros, lions, buffalo, mammoth, and other animals or
humans often hunting. (archeologie.culture.fr, web)
 EARLY HISTORY
• There are examples of cave paintings all over the world—in
France, India, Spain, Portugal, China, Australia etc.

• Prehistoric Humans may have painted animals to "catch"

their soul or spirit in order to hunt them more easily or the
paintings may represent an animistic vision and homage to
surrounding nature, or they may be the result of a basic
need of expression that is innate to human beings, or they
could have been for the transmission of practical
information.
THE GROTTE CHAUVET
THE GROTTE CHAUVET
THE GROTTE CHAUVET
 THE ANCIENT CHINESE
• Traditional Chinese painting is one of the oldest and continuous artistic
traditions in the world. The earliest paintings were not representational
but ornamental in nature; they consisted of patterns or designs rather
than pictures. (britannica.com, web)

• Many of these paintings were sold in antique shops and oriental

collectors shops at steep prices.

• The style and practice of these paintings are still present up to this day.
 THE ANCIENT JAPANESE
• Traditional Japanese painting is one of the oldest and most highly refined of
the Japanese arts, encompassing a wide variety of genre and styles. The
history of Japanese painting is a long history of synthesis and competition
between native Japanese aesthetics and adaptation of imported ideas,
mainly coming from neighboring kingdoms. (artelino.com, web)

• Their style is highly similar to their benefactor empire, which is the Chinese
Empire. The same could be said to the Ancient Korean Paintings

• The history of Korean painting is dated to approximately 108 C.E., when it first
appears as an independent form. Between that time and the paintings and
frescoes that appear on the Goryeo dynasty tombs, there has been little
research on the matter. (asia-art.net, web)
 THE ANCIENT INDIANS

• Indian paintings historically revolved around the

religious deities and kings. Indian art is a collective
term for several different schools of art that existed in
the Indian subcontinent. (nriol.com, web)

• The paintings varied from large frescoes of Ajanta to

the intricate Mughal miniature paintings to the metal
embellished works from the Tanjore school.
 ANCIENT EGYPTIANS

• Egyptian painting has close connection with its

written language – called Egyptian hieroglyphs.
Painted symbols are found amongst the first forms of
written language. The Egyptians also painted on
linen, remnants of which survive today. Ancient
Egyptian paintings survived due to the extremely dry
climate.
 The Goddess Isis
Wall Painting

Ancient Papyrus on the

Death and Afterlife
 THE MEDIEVAL AGE
• Also known as the Dark ages, Medieval art was produced in many media,
and works survive in large numbers in sculpture, illuminated manuscripts,
stained glass, metalwork and mosaics, all of which have had a higher
survival rate than other media such as fresco wall-paintings, work in precious
metals or textiles, including tapestry. (Oxfordartonline.com, web)
• It encompasses Byzantine, Islamic, Romanesque, and Gothic Art
 The Unicorn was found,
Second of the Seven
Unicorn Tapestries

The Unicorn was attacked, Third of

the Seven Unicorn Tapestries
 The Unicorn Defends itself,
Fourth of the Seven
Unicorn Tapestries

St. George and the Dragon by

Paolo Uccello, c.1470
 THE RENAISSANCE
• The Renaissance is said by many to be the golden age of
painting. Roughly spanning the 14th through the mid-17th
century.

• In Italy artists took painting to a higher level through the use

of perspective, the study of human anatomy and
proportion, and through their development of an
unprecedented refinement in drawing and painting
techniques.
THE CREATION BY MICHELANGELO
The Anatomy Lesson of
Dr. Nicolaes Tulp by
Rembrandt
 EARLY FILIPINO ART
• Filipino painting as a whole can be seen as an amalgamation of many
cultural influences, though it tends to be more Western in its current form with
Eastern roots. Early Filipino painting can be found in red slip (clay mixed with
water) designs embellished on the ritual pottery of the Philippines such as the
acclaimed Manunggul Jar.

The Manunggul Jar as

seen in the National
Museum of Anthropology,
Manila
 THE PINTADOS OF THE VISAYAS
• Further evidences of painting are manifested in the tattoo tradition of early
Filipinos, whom the Portuguese explorer referred to as Pintados or the
'Painted People' of the Visayas. Various designs referencing flora and fauna
with heavenly bodies decorate their bodies in various colored pigmentation

Modern and early depiction of

the Pintados of the Visayas
regions courtesy of
Aswangproject.com
• Filipinos began creating paintings in the European
tradition during the 17thcentury Spanish period.The
earliest of these paintings were Church frescoes,
religious imagery from Biblical sources, as well as
engravings, sculptures and lithographs featuring
Christian icons and European nobility.
The Death of Cleopatra
by Juan Luna 1881
Spoliarium by
Juan Luna
1884
Blood Compact by
Juan Luna 1886
Las Virgenes Cristianas
Expuestas Al Populacho
by Felix Ressureccion
Hidalgo 1884
La Barca de
Aqueronte by Felix
Resurreccion
Hidalgo 1887
La Marina by
Félix
Resurrección
Hidalgo 1911
A Remembrance of the
Villa Borghese by Fabian
De la Rosa 1909
 V

Antipolo by Fernando
Amorsolo 1947
 REFERENCES
• archeologie.culture.fr
• artelino.com
• asia-art.net
• britannica.com
• nriol.com
• researchgate.net