1. Unit 2:
Prehistoric to Medieval Art
! What do we know about the Prehistoric time
period?

2. How did it all start?
! Art began over 27,000 years ago
! As humans became smarter their
imagination and ability to create art
increased
! Art from Prehistoric to Medieval times is not
a progression from simple to complex. It is a
time of many varied art forms from different
cultures and time periods

3. Prehistoric Art:
25,000 to 2500 B.C.E
! People live in caves
! Survive by hunting and gathering
! No organized government or religion
! Gradually evolve into learning how to use
tools to make things
! Art is made for practical purposes to help
with hunt or please natural forces

4. Prehistoric Art:
25,000 to 2500 B.C.E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNP6XRLbYWo
! SCULPTURE: Bone, ivory
and stone figurines
! Made figures to please
natural forces like wind,
animals and storms
! Ex: Venus of Willendorf,
Europe, 25,000 B.C.E.,
Stone

5. Prehistoric Art:
25,000 to 2500 B.C.E
! ARCHITECTURE: massive, upright, stone structures
! Later cave people had learned how to farm and had more
time to build permanent structures
! Ex: Stonehenge, England, 2000 B.C.E. Limestone, Used
as an astronomical calendar

6. Prehistoric Art:
25,000 to 2500 B.C.E
! PAINTING: Cave paintings of animals thought
to guarantee a successful hunt
! Painted what they saw and images of everyday
life
! Painted on cave walls with fingers and brushes
made of sticks
! Used paint made of crushed rocks, berries and
charcoal as outlines for the animals
! Ex: Lascaux Cave Painting, France, 15,000
B.C.E., natural paints on rock walls

7. Cave of Lascaux, France,
15,000 B.C.E.
http://
www.youtube.com/
watch?
v=-09b6QOPibo
http://
www.youtube.com/
watch?
v=bzShXDxm2v8&fea
ture=related

10. What is ‘Cave Art Style’? (write
this in your sketchbook)
! Simple sketchy lines
! Crude looking
! Minimal detail
! Earth tones (browns, rusty
reds, dark greens, grays)
! Dark, black outlines around
figures
! Just enough to tell a
story without words

12. HANDS ON: Prehistoric Art
! In your sketchbook, draw a rhino in a cave art style.

13. HANDS ON: Prehistoric Art

14. HANDS ON: Prehistoric Art
! In your sketchbook, draw an elephant in a
cave art style.

15. HANDS ON: Prehistoric Art
! Does it look like this?

16. Humans in Cave Art
! WRITE THIS IN YOUR
SKETCHBOOK AND
DRAW ONE FROM THE
PICTURE AT THE RIGHT
! Not stick figures
! Long upper bodies
! Long, thick legs
! Tiny heads
! Short arms

17. Humans in Cave Art
! Draw someone running in a cave art style

18. Humans in Cave Art
! Draw someone running in a cave art style

19. HANDS ON: Prehistoric Art
! With the person at your table draw the
process of doing something ‘modern’ in a
cave-art style with at least 4 steps. Color
with chalk or oil pastels on the paper
provided to you.
! For example draw the process of buying
groceries in a cave art style
Drive to store Pay for groceries
Look for groceries Put groceries in car

20. Cave Art Story Discussion
! What parts or things of your cave art
story were difficult to draw?
! Why do you think it was hard to
draw these?
! What connection do you think this
has to why art has developed and
changed over time?