Arts Appreciation: Pre-Historic and Ancient Egyptian Civilization PDF

ARTS APPRECIATION Pre-Historic and Ancient Egyptian Civilization Pre-Historic Period Definition: Refers to ancient artistic expression created by early human societies before written records. Examples: Lascaux Cave painting, cave painting, rock carvings. 3 Periods of Pre-History: 1\. Pal...

ARTS APPRECIATION Pre-Historic and Ancient Egyptian Civilization Pre-Historic Period Definition: Refers to ancient artistic expression created by early human societies before written records. Examples: Lascaux Cave painting, cave painting, rock carvings. 3 Periods of Pre-History: 1\. Paleolithic Period (Stone Age): o Time: 3.3 million years ago. o Early humans (Hominins) used basic stone tools like sharpened stones. 2\. Mesolithic Period: o Time: 10,000 to 8,000 B.C. o Transition between Paleolithic and Neolithic periods. o Developments: ▪ Created stone paintings. ▪ Developed tools like arrowheads and knives. ▪ Began using metal for protection and hunting. 3\. Neolithic Period: o Development of a more structured lifestyle. o Cultivated plants and domesticated animals for food. Ancient Egyptian Civilization Overview: One of the earliest and most powerful civilizations. Located in Northeast Africa, along the Nile River, surrounded by desert and the Mediterranean Sea. Society and Culture: Lifestyle: o People were hunters and fishermen. o United through the Kingdom of Upper and Lower Egypt. Government: o The Egyptian King was called Pharaoh. o Monarch system: Advisers were royal-blooded individuals. Writing: o Hieroglyphics: Pictorial writing system. o Cuneiform: Writing on clay, dried under the sun. Architecture: o Constructed monumental structures like pyramids. Religion: o Believed in Gods, Goddesses, and Deities. o Religious Hierarchy: 1\. God (Superior) 2\. King 3\. The Blessed Dead 4\. Humanity o Created statues made of stone. 5 Periods of Ancient Egypt: 1\. Old Kingdom (Early Bronze Age) 2\. Middle Kingdom (Middle Bronze Age) 3\. New Kingdom (Late Bronze Age) 4\. Late Period 5\. Ptolemaic Kingdom ART HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT Prehistoric Art Cave paintings: Animals for hunting success. Fertility statues: Magical belief for offspring. Early architecture: Menhirs, Dolmens, Cromlechs (gravestones). Egyptian Art Civilization: Nile River-based. Art focused on religion (e.g., Horus, Ra, Osiris). Architecture: Pyramids, mastabas, mummification. Government: o The Egyptian King was called Pharaoh. o Monarch system: Advisers were royal-blooded individuals. Writing: o Hieroglyphics: Pictorial writing system. o Cuneiform: Writing on clay, dried under the sun. Architecture: o Constructed monumental structures like pyramids. Religion: o Believed in Gods, Goddesses, and Deities. o Religious Hierarchy: 1\. God (Superior) 2\. King 3\. The Blessed Dead 4\. Humanity o Created statues made of stone. 5 Periods of Ancient Egypt: 1\. Old Kingdom (Early Bronze Age) 2\. Middle Kingdom (Middle Bronze Age) 3\. New Kingdom (Late Bronze Age) 4\. Late Period 5\. Ptolemaic Kingdom ART HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT Prehistoric Art Cave paintings: Animals for hunting success. Fertility statues: Magical belief for offspring. Early architecture: Menhirs, Dolmens, Cromlechs (gravestones). Egyptian Art Civilization: Nile River-based. Art focused on religion (e.g., Horus, Ra, Osiris). Architecture: Pyramids, mastabas, mummification. Classicism & Greco-Roman Tradition Greek: Idealism, anatomy, harmony. Roman: Innovations like arches, still life, and monumental buildings. Medieval Art Religious themes: Focus on afterlife. Architecture: Romanesque to Gothic (stained glass, cathedrals). Renaissance Art Themes: Humanism, realism, and perspective. Key artists: o Leonardo da Vinci: Mona Lisa. o Michelangelo: David. o Botticelli: Birth of Venus. Civilization and Ancient Art River-based civilizations (Nile, Tigris, Indus, etc.). Mesopotamia: Pottery (8000 B.C.). China: Jade figurines, Terracotta Army. India: Bhimbetka rock shelters (9000 B.C.), Indus Valley art Prehistoric Arts: Seated Female (5600-5000 BC) o Believed to exist in the Halaf culture, Mesopotamian ancient art. o Retrieved from Met Museum Bhimbetka Rock Painting (3300-1700 BC) o Located at Bhimbetka rock shelter in Madhya Pradesh, India. o Represents ancient animal cave paintings. o Part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. o Retrieved from New World Encyclopedia Venus of Willendorf (28,000-25,000 BC) o A fertility statue discovered in 1908 by Johann Veran. o Found in Lower Austria; now at the Naturhistorisches Museum in Vienna. o Retrieved from Wikipedia Ancient Art: Terracotta Army Soldiers (246-206 BC) o Sculptures constructed to guard the tomb of Emperor Qin Shihuang, the first emperor of China. o Discovered in 1974 by a farmer in Xi\'an, China. Currently displayed at the Terracotta Army Museum in Xi\'an. o Retrieved from China Highlights Ancient Egyptian Deities: Horus o One of the oldest and most significant deities in ancient Egyptian religion. o Son of Isis. Ra o The god of energy and the sun. Osiris o The god of the underworld and the afterlife. Roman Arts: Roman art imitated Greek styles but added new subjects like Still Life, Landscape, and Architectural motifs. Still Life: Depicts inanimate objects. Landscape: Includes landforms, vegetation, buildings, and weather. Arch of Titus (81 AD): Honorific arch in Rome, built by Emperor Domitian to honor his brother Titus. Baths of Caracalla (AD 212-216): Roman public baths in Rome, named after Emperor Caracalla. Medieval Arts: Early Christian Arts: Focused on spiritual symbols (cross, fish, lamb) and the afterlife. Byzantine Arts: Emphasized clarity, sharp outlines, and religious icons (e.g., Crucifixion). Romanesque Arts (1000-1200 AD): Known for geometric designs and stylized animals. Gothic Arts: Focused on religious themes, famous for stained glass and illuminated manuscripts. Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus (359 CE): Early Christian sculpture with Biblical scenes. Christ Pantocrator (11th Century): Byzantine mosaic depicting Christ as the ruler of the universe.