Art in Early Civilizations: Introduction

Art in Early Civilizations: Introduction

• The Stone Age is when stones served as tools for survival.
• Cave paintings and sculptures from this era act as storytellers, informing about prehistoric humans.
• Prehistoric art is within the Stone Age's three periods: Paleolithic (Old Stone Age), Mesolithic (Middle Stone Age), and Neolithic (New Stone Age), spanning 14,000-2,000 BCE.
• Archaeological discoveries reveal beliefs and activities of early civilizations.
• Ancient art reflects early people's spiritual, social, political, and economic attitudes.
• Artwork materials ranged from limestone to gems and metals.
• Artworks depict religious symbols, nature, and everyday life.

Prehistoric Art

• Early humans created paintings and sculptures of humans, animals, and habitats, recording their lives.
• Early civilizations linked art, religion, and life.

Paleolithic Art

• Caves provided shelter and a space for early art.
• Cave art includes depictions of animals, humans, and geometric signs.
• Cave paintings typically used red or black pigments.
• Cave art generally had a symbolic or religious function.
• Some believe cave art was created within shamanic beliefs and practices.
• Deep cave paintings exist outside Europe in the Americas, Australia, and Asia.
• Art on shelters or rocks is abundant worldwide and came later.

Mesolithic Art

• The Mesolithic Period (Middle Stone Age) falls between the Paleolithic and Neolithic Periods, dating approximately from 10,000 BCE to 8,000 BCE.
• Art reflects adaptation to warmer climates, sedentary lifestyles, and agriculture.
• Mesolithic rock art is located outdoors on cliffs or rock faces
• Human figures are a main theme in painted scenes, often hunting, battle, or dance scenes.
• Mesolithic rock art locations are in Spain, Asia, Africa, Australasia, and the Americas.

Neolithic Art

• Neolithic art includes arts and crafts from societies that switched from hunting and gathering to farming and animal husbandry.
• Art developed when life became more stable for early humans.
• By 4000 BCE, monumental and architectural structures were erected.
• Neolithic sculpture became larger.
• Pottery was used to store food.
• Alcohol production, architecture, and interior/exterior decoration first appeared.

Egyptian Art

• The Nile River was essential and Egyptians worshipped it as a god.
• Art was associated with religion.

Old Kingdom Art

• Religion was tied to the afterlife.
• Tombs were used to house pharaohs' bodies for their next journey.
• Tombs were decorated with day-to-day objects to reflect the afterlife.
• The Narmer Palette used dark colors around King Narmer’s eyes and symbolized the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt.
• Pyramids in Giza served as tombs to provide a resting place for pharaohs, constructed from over two million limestone blocks.
• Pyramid construction highlights the ingenuity of Egyptians.
• The Egyptians used wooden rollers and a system of ropes and pulleys for construction.
• Pyramid construction reflects people's reverence for pharaohs.
• Lavish decoration inside the pyramids posed a problem as thieves plundered valuable objects.

Middle Kingdom Art

• A key feature was the shift in political hierarchy.
• Common people were the subject matter, rather than nobility.
• Portrait sculptures and fresco paintings emerged during this period.

Rock-Cut Tombs & Hyksos

• Tombs were carved out of living rock to prevent thieves.
• Rock-cut tombs were filled with chambers and decorated hallways.
• Egypt fell to the Hyksos, who introduced bronzed weapons and horses.

New Kingdom Art

• There was expansionism through territorial acquisition.
• Monuments and sculptures linked to death and reverence for the deceased.
• Sculptures built on a massive and monumental scale showed high regard for people.
• Mortuary temples emerged, serving as sanctuaries and places of worship.
• Sculptures had curving lines, full bodies, life-like faces, elongated jaws, and thick-lidded eyes.
• Egyptian artists created naturalistic artworks.
• Naturalism portrayed the pharaoh and the royal family.
• The tomb of Tutankhamen was discovered by Howard Carter in 1922.
• Tutankhamen's artwork coffin was solid gold.

Art of Emerging Europe: Introduction

• Art narrates knowledge, belief, and experience.
• Art shows the foundation of civilization and humanity's desire for a better life.

Learning Outcome

• In this lesson, the plan is to identify the history/ philosophy of a movement
• Also, classify art movements with background, issues, people, artists, forms & media
• Present historical timelines and recognize characteristics of distinct artworks

Ancient Greece

• The Greeks valued poetry, drama, and philosophy.
• Humanist ideals were reflected in their government, artworks, and architecture.
• The Greeks believed nature should be in order.
• Core principles of Greek art are their belief and ideologies.
• Greek art developed in 4 periods; Geometric, Archaic, Classical and Hellenistic

Geometric Period

• The Geometric Period used geometric shapes to portray humans and animals.
• Monumental grave markers were introduced, decorated with funerary images.
• Stone sculptures for funerary monuments appeared in the Archaic period.

Archaic Period

• The Archaic Period emphasized human figures due to trade activities.
• It ushered in more natural art styles.
• From 600-480 BCE, Greeks carved large freestanding sculptures of humans from stone.
• Sculptures were funerary monuments to gods/goddesses.
• Kouros & Kore were Archaic Greek depictions of young men and women.
• Kouros translates to "male youth;" Kore, to "maiden."
• Statues had upright poses and a calm expression known as the Archaic smile.
• Statues got smaller as time progressed, Kore statues especially, by the end of the Archaic Period.

Classical Period

• It was when Greek sculpture and architecture peaked.
• The Parthenon housed a gold and ivory statue of Athena.
• Sculptures were primarily marble.
• Sculpture focused on perfecting the idealized human figure.

Hellenistic Period

• It was during Alexander the Great's time.
• Hellenistic sculpture added elasticity to form and expressions, both facial and physical.
• Hellenistic sculptures emphasized balance and dynamic poses
• They evoked emotions in their subjects.

Ancient Rome

• Roman art began around 500 B.C. and ended at the fall of Rome in 1453 A.D.
• Roman art developed during the Roman empire.
• Roman art depicted mythology and emperors, especially in sculpture.
• The Greeks influenced Roman sculpture.
• Roman portraiture portrayed emperors, generals, and senators with a degree of realism.

Roman Architecture

• Noted architecture: The Aqueduct of Segovia (Spain), Iconic dome (Florence Cathedral), Saint Peter’s Basilica (Rome), The Colosseum (Rome)

Middle Ages

• The period denotes the decline of the Roman Empire and the Renaissance.
• The Church was the central authority.
• Christian scriptures were copied.
• Copies of scripture had illustrations and decorations and were done by hand since printing came after the Middle Ages.
• Great cathedrals were built; Romanesque (inspired by the old Roman Empire) and Gothic (northern flavor).

Romanesque Art

• The architectural style flourished across western Europe with France as the center.
• Romanesque buildings were semi-circular arches, thick stone walls, sturdy pillars, barrel vaults, large towers, and durable construction.
• Stone sculptures presented biblical subject matter.
• Other media: stained glass and illuminated manuscripts.

Gothic Art

• Originated in the 12th century with the rebuilding of the Abbey Church in Saint Denis, France.
• Gothic architecture had ribbed vaults, flying buttresses, and decorative pinnacles.
• Gothic architecture replaced heavy piers with slender ones.
• Window dimensions became larger.
• Gothic sculptures decorated the exteriors of cathedrals.

Renaissance

• It means rebirth or revival.
• Renaissance is reflected in Humanism, developing man's potential through virtues like judgment.
• The scientific method was important.
• Influential promoters were Copernicus and Galileo.

Early Renaissance

• The rediscovery of the classical world radically changed painting.
• The spiritual content of painting changed and borrowed from Roman history and Mythology.
• Devotional art became classically humanized.

High Renaissance

• Classical ideals of humanism were fully implemented.
• The center was in Rome and paid for by the Pontiff.
• Renaissance artists wanted beauty and harmony.
• They looked for truths in Greek and Roman culture.

Late Renaissance/Mannerism

• Mannerism means style from the Italian Maniera.
• It was a European art style from 1520 to 1580.
• Mannerism exaggerates proportion/balance resulting in asymmetrical compositions and instability.
• Mannerist painting was more artificial and unnatural.
• It had disproportionate figures, and uncommon scale/lighting.
• The Protestant Reformation caused the end of the Renaissance through wars and funding.

Baroque Period

• Originated in Rome from the Portuguese meaning, “irregular pearl or stone."
• Baroque art showed religious conflicts.
• The Catholic Church restated itself after the Protestant Reformation as stated at the Council of Trent.
• The style was extravagant, intricate, and highly detailed.
• The style became popular with the church to convey/express religious ideas and emotionally reply to the Reformation.
• Catholic-inspired Baroque art served a propagandist role with monumental wall paintings and huge frescoes.

Rococo Period

• Rococo is Late Baroque, and a hybrid combining rocaille (“shell”) and barocco.
• Rococo known as the age of artificiality showing unreal subjects.
• Emerged in France then scattering across the world between 17th and 18th century.
• Initiated by King Louis XIV who wanted youthful art created during his reign.
• The style emphasizes detail, ornamentation, and bright colors.
• Focused on secular, light-hearted, asymmetrical design continuing decorative style.
• Used cherubs and myths of love while keeping a playful trend during the time.

Neoclassicism

• It was an art movement in Europe during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.
• Neoclassicism revived influences of Greek and Roman art and architecture.
• Some historians say it was a reaction to Baroque artworks.

Neo-Classical Artists

• Jacques-Louis David (1748-1825) France was an influential French painter considered to be pre-eminent, with painting focused on history.
• Jean Auguste-Dominique Ingres (1780-1867) France influenced by Italian Renaissance painters, with nude portraits and mythological theme.
• Jean Auguste-Dominique Ingres was thought to be one of the academic great exemplars of his era.

Romanticism

• It used Neoclassicist artwork's themes as a springboard.
• Romanticists have highlighted heroic elements.
• A major theme was an emphasis on the goodness of mankind.
• Works promoted justice, equality, and social order.
• There were emphasized emotions and feelings, deviating from rationalist principles.
• Theodore Gericault, Eugene Delacroix, Francisco de Goya, J.M.W. Turner, and John Constable created artistic achievements

Realism

• It was an art movement that depicted truth without romanticization.
• It showed life in its raw, unidealized form.
• There has little room for imagination.
• Emphasis is more on observable traits that can concretize.
• heavily influenced by Hellinistic Greek culture.

Key Features the Realism Era focused on

• Accurate Detail in every small element.
• Everyday Subject Matter such as common people, daily tasks or ordinary scenes.
• Social and Political Relevance such as hi