GROUP 1

HistoRy of cave aRT

Cave art
Cave Art (or Paleolithic Art) is a broad term for the earliest
known art-making in human history. This movement is
perhaps best-known today for the paintings found on the
walls of many prehistoric caves, rich in depictions of animals,
human figures, and forms that are a combination of man and
beast. The tradition of cave art also includes relief carvings
and portable sculptural objects. The art created by our
earliest ancestors is at one level alien and deeply mysterious
to us, and yet it serves as a reminder of the common
humanity we share with its creators. It rarely fails to dazzle
and astound with its meticulous detail, abstract gestures,
and rich scope for imaginative speculation on its meaning
and origin.
 Cave Art
These are painted drawings on a cave or walls or
ceilings, mainly of prehistoric origin, dated to some 40,
000 years (around 38, 000 BCE) in Eurasia.
Paleolithic cave paintings are unknown, but evidence
suggests they were decorations of living areas. Some
theories suggest they were a way of communicating
with others, while others ascribe a religious or
ceremonial purpose. Animals are common subjects,
while humans appear as hand stencils made by blowing
pigment on a hand held to the wall
coMMon color of
cave aRt
The most notable thing about cave art is that the
predominant colors used are black (often from
charcoal, soot, or manganese oxide), yellow
ochre (often from limonite), red ochre (haematite,
or baked limonite), and white (kaolin clay, burnt
shells, calcite, powdered gypsum, or powdered
calcium carbonate).
CALCITE HAEMATITE MANGANESE OXIDE

BURNT SHELLS SOOT

LIMONITE
 COMMON SUBJECT OF CAVE ART
The most common subjects in cave paintings are large wild
animals, such as bison, horses, aurochs, and deer, and tracings of
human hands as well as abstract patterns, called finger fluting


COMMON MESSAGE OF CAVE ART

Cave art is generally considered to have a symbolic or religious function,
sometimes both. The exact meanings of the images remain unknown, but some
experts think they may have been created within the framework of shamanic
beliefs and practices
artworks of Cave Art
 The Lion Man is a 12-inch composite creature carved
from the ivory of a mammoth. It was discovered in
Germany in 1939 and is the oldest example of an
imaginary form in history. Its beastly attributes include
a lion's head and the elongated body and forelimbs of a
big cat, while the legs, feet, and bi-pedal stance are
clearly modeled on the human form. Jill Cook suggests
that the work was created in an age of nomadic hunter-
gatherer routines and may have helped people to come
to terms with their place in nature on a deeper, religious
level.
38,000 BC-
Lion-man of the Hohlenstein-Stadel
 The Panel of Horses is a painting found in the
Chauvet cave that features nineteen other
animals, including deer and rhinoceroses, as well
as its famous equine subjects in side profile. It
provides an important historical record of the
animals that existed in prehistoric France, as well
as a sense of the detail and realism with which
early artists could capture the world around them.
The artist used stump drawing to create the
horses' contours, offering insight into minds set
far apart from ours in time yet sharing certain
33,000-20,000 BC vital emotional, social, and creative instincts.
Panel of Horses
 24,000-22,000 BC
Venus of Willendorf
The Venus of Willendorf is a sculpture of a woman
with exaggerated female features. It was
discovered in Austria in 1908 and is among several
carved female figurines uncovered in caves across
Europe. It has been interpreted as symbols of
fertility, images of women's bodies, self-
representations by women, or obstetric devices.
The documentation of the "Venus" figures is an
example of the potential pitfalls of titling works
after the fact, as it suggests that there is a sexual
element to the figures.
 The Venus of Laussel is an 18-inch bas-
relief carving featuring a woman with
large breasts and hips. Her left hand
rests on her stomach while in her right
hand she holds a carved horn on which
are carved thirteen lines. It has been the
source of extensive debate over its
meaning, with some scholars arguing
that the horn is an image of the crescent
moon and the 13 stripes cut into the
object are an explicit reference to the
annual lunar cycle.
18,000 BC
Venus of Laussel
 This image of a bison is part of a large
number of animals depicted in the
Altamira cave. The artist has gone to
great effort to make the animal as
detailed as possible, including
distinguishing features such as horns,
hooves, and tufts of hair. The animal
does not appear in relation to any
landscape, leading to questions
regarding its purpose. Possible
theories include decorative, teaching,
or religious ceremonies.
13,000-11,000 BC
Altamira Bison
 The Hall of Bulls is a painting
featuring a large number of
prehistoric animals, placed on a
large segment of rock in the interior
of the Lascaux cave. It supports the
view that certain areas in ancient
caves were used as gathering
places for spiritual rituals or
ceremonies. Archaeologist Jean
Clottes suggests that the images
could have played a social role in
the celebration of rites, the
perpetuation of beliefs and
16,000-14,000 BC perceptions of the world, and
Hall of Bulls recruiting the aid of invisible
powers.


16,000-14,000 BC
Male figure with bird head
and disemboweled bison

The "bird man" panel in Lascaux cave

is a rare example of a figure drawing
from Paleolithic Europe, where non-
human animals are more frequently
found. Debate surrounds the intended
meaning of the painting, such as
whether it is associated with rituals or
mythical functions. Other explanations
include a symbol or talisman to ensure
a productive hunt, and whether the
birdman and bison are related at all.
This mystery surrounds cave art,
which is appealing to modern
audiences.
 The Cave of the Hands is a collection of
handprints stenciled onto a cliff wall in red,
black, and white pigments. Most are male
and 31 are of right hands. Two possible
explanations for their presence are that
they were painted by adolescent boys as
part of an initiation ceremony or rite of
passage, or that they were made as part of
a religious ceremony that preceded a hunt.
These handprints are among the most
extraordinary of all ancient artworks, as

they share the basic features of our bodies
11,000-7,500 BC with our earliest ancestors.
Hand stencils
 24,500-3,000 BC
Gwion rock paintings

The Gwion rock paintings are a tradition of ancient

rock painting in Australia, first discovered in 1891
by Joseph Bradshaw. They depict figures with
elaborately dressed bodies, many wearing feathers,
tassels, and headdresses, and carrying objects such
as spears and boomerangs. They are among the
most mysterious of Australian rock drawings due to
their unusual appearance and sophistication. They
suggest that prehistoric peoples were capable of
elaborate systems of social coding and stratification
through dress, ornament, and figurative art.
QUIZ TIME!
 GROUP 1 MEMBERS:
Agustin, Ivy D.
Almarez, Christian G.
Antonio, Karylle Mae H.
Apalla, Earl John F.
Balandang, Yankee Jeb B.
Ballad, Fae Krize Ann M.