PREHISTORIC ART

CAVE IN ALTAMIRA, SPAIN

• Discovered in 1897 by a father and his
daughter
• Paintings were about the Ice Age 14,000 to
Magdalenian-era cave painting
24,000 years ago of a bison, Altamira, Spain.
• Shoulder bones of buffalo have been used as A. Held/J.P. Ziolo, Paris
palettes
• Brushes were from bristles from the tail of a buffalo

CAVE IN LASCAUX, FRANCE

• Discovered in 1940 by four boys
• Cave paintings show gigantic oxen, deer and
horses painted in grey, black and yellow
• Other caves were later discovered

prehistoric cave painting in Lascaux - A cave

painting in Lascaux, near Montignac, France, depicts a
bull and a horse. Hans Hinz, Basel

PAINTINGS IN CHAUVET CAVE

• Near the Ardeche River in Southern France
• Discovered in 1994 by 3 spelunkers: Chauvet,
Brunel and Hillaire
• Discovered only in 1994 because part of the cliff
above the original entrance collapsed, sealing
the cave and preserving the brilliant works
within
• The oldest ever discovered being 35,000 years
old
• With 420 animal figures in all with 13 different drawings at Chauvet–Pont d'Arc
Drawings of a lean bear or a hyena (above) and a
species panther (below) in Chauvet–Pont d'Arc, Ardèche,
• Dominant animals found are lions, mammoths France.
and rhinoceroses Photo by Jean Clottes; used with permission

• Owls, hyenas and panthers which have never –

or very rarely found in previous Ice Age paintings are also depicted
• The most spectacular images are the Horse Panel which is 20 feet long and the
Panel of Lions and Rhinoceroses.

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STONEHENGE

• Considered as one of the oldest forms of

architecture
• It served as a huge calendar which marked
the equinox of the position of the sun’s rays
upon the structure
• It could foretell the occurrence of lunar and
solar eclipses
• Its astonishing mathematical precision has
been recently proven showing that the early
man had already achieved a remarkable
degree of scientific intelligence

ANCIENT EGYPTIAN ART

Ancient Egyptian art is closely related to the people’s belief in the afterlife.
Pharaohs prepared for their tombs when they were still alive. The earliest form of tomb
was called the mastaba, a chamber for the dead. This later developed, with the addition
of several levels, into a step pyramid, such as tjat of Saqqara. The Pyramid of Pharaoh
Cheops is considered the largest, being 475 feet high and 738 feet wide. It took 20 years
to build this pyramid made of limestones.

The Egyptians also built statues for the tombs. The Pharaoh is usually shown to be
sitting with one hand on the knee. Men were portrayed to have darker skin than women.
Every tomb should have a statue for in case the mummified body would be destroyed,
the soul could transfer to the statue and dwell there. This might also be the reason why
the statue should look young and healthy.

The Roman conquest put an end to the ancient Egyptian artist’s contribution
because the Romans imposed their laws and religion.

The Mask of Tutankhamun; c. 1327 BC; gold, glass and

A statue of a Pharaoh outside the tomb semi-precious stones; height: 54 cm (21 in); Egyptian
Museum (Cairo)

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 The so-called "Hyksos Sphinxes" are peculiar sphinxes
of Amenemhat III which were reinscribed by several
Artifacts of Egypt from the Prehistoric period, 4400–
Hyksos rulers, including Apepi. Earlier Egyptologists
3100 BC: clockwise from top left: a Badarian ivory
thought these were the faces of actual Hyksos rulers
figurine, a Naqada jar, a Bat figurine, a cosmetic palette,
a flint knife, and a diorite vase.

Mastaba of Ancient Egypt

ANCIENT GREEK ART

One of the well-known Ancient Greek art is The Parthenon or the tragedies staged
by the Greeks. The Parthenon was built in honor of the goddess Athena between 447-
432 BC by architects Iktinos and Kallikrates with an approximate of 13,400 stones for the
structure. Its massive foundations were made of limestones, the columns were made of
Pentelic marble. With the dimensions of approximately 30.85 meters (east and west) x
69.5 meters (north and south). The temple’s main function was to shelter the monumental
statue of Athena that was made by Pheidias. The Ottoman Turks stored gunpowder and
two mortal shells went through the roof and ignited the explosives stored under it in
September 1687. Within seconds, the temple was cut into two.

Associated with the Greeks is the drama where tragedies and comedies were
performed. They were staged in open air amphitheater where the audience would sit
surrounding the stage. Some would be positioned looking down at the actors performing.
This amphitheater is considered to be ideal for drama performances according to modern
architects because the natural acoustics of the hillside would make the sound stay within
the area, enabling the thousand spectators to hear the actors.

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 The Greeks are also known for the different Orders found in the columns of their
Temples. These orders are Doric, Ionic and Corinthian.

Greek artists tried to create ideal beauty. Statues were not made to represent real, living
people, but they have carved to show how the human body should look like. Figures with
large nose or a mole were never shown.

Athena defeats Alkyoneus (detail), The

Pergamon Altar, c. 200-150 B.C.E.
(Hellenistic Period), 35.64 x 33.4 meters,
marble (Pergamon Museum, Berlin)

Athanadoros, Hagesandros, and

Polydoros of Rhodes, Laocoön and his
Sons, early first century C.E., marble, 7’10-
1/2″ high (Vatican Museums)

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 The Discobolus Lancellotti and a fragmentary statue of
the Lancellotti type, National Roman Museum, Rome,
Italy. Named after the Lancellotti family that once owned
the statue. Roman bronze copy of Myron's Discobolus,
2nd century AD (Glyptothek, Munich)

Kleobis and Biton, kouroi of the Archaic period, c.

580 BC, Delphi Archaeological Museum

Two early Archaic Doric order Greek temples

at Paestum, Italy, with much wider capitals
than later.

The Parthenon or the "Temple of Athena"

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 Macedonian tomb fresco from Agios
Athanasios, Thessaloniki, Greece, 4th century BC

Athenian tetradrachm with head

of Athena and owl, after 449 BC. The most
acceptable coin in the Mediterranean world.

Niobid Painter, Niobid Krater, Attic red-figure calyx-

krater, c. 460-50 B.C.E., 54 x 56 cm (Musée du Louvre,
Paris)

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ANCIENT ROMAN ART

The early settlers of Rome, said to be the Etruscans of central Italy were brilliant
architects, sculptors, painters, jewelers and potters. In 79 AD, Mt. Vesuvius erupted
causing the Roman towns to be buried. However, the lava preserved the towns and the
bodies, wall paintings were then discovered. They had made frescoes in their houses with
columns to frame them. There were also mosaics on the floors. Their sculptures were
generally copied from Greek statues. It is believed that Greek statues were carried off to
Rome when Athens and other Greek cities were destroyed and plundered by the Romans.

The Romans made significant contributions to Architecture. They also built temples
similar to the Greek temples. They constructed aqueducts (bridges that carry water),
public baths, market-places and roads. They also discovered concrete and it was first used
in Rome in 120 BC. They held meetings and other transactions at basilicas or halls.
The Roman Forum, usually situated at the center of the city, was an open area bordered
by colonnades with shops. It functioned as the chief meeting place of the town. It was
also the site of the city’s primary religious and civic buildings, among them the Senate
house, records office and basilica.

Iphigenia in Aulis Wall painting

from north wall of the House of
the Tragic Poet, Pompeii

Fresco from the Villa of the

Mysteries. Pompeii, 80 BC

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 The Roman Forum - originally a
marketplace, as the Forum Magnum,
or simply the Forum

The Pantheon in Rome is also the burial site

of the Renaissance artist Raphael Interior of The Pantheon in
Rome

Pont du Gard, an ancient Roman

aqueduct

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 The Roman Baths -centers not only for
bathing, but socializing and reading as
well

Colosseum, also called as Flavian Amphitheatre, a giant

Amphitheatre built in Rome under the Flavian emperors.
Construction of the Colosseum was begun sometime
between 70 and 72 CE during the reign of Vespasian

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