This document provides an overview of prehistoric and early Western art from cave paintings through early Egyptian art. It notes that some of the earliest works of art were cave paintings found in France and Spain dating back before the development of writing. Early sculptures included small animal statues and fertility figures. It then discusses the rise of early civilizations along major rivers which led to developments in architecture, writing systems, and religious art and sculpture associated with important figures like gods and pharaohs in places like Mesopotamia, Egypt, China, and India. In Egypt, major artworks included pyramids, temples and sculptures that were closely tied to religious beliefs and rituals surrounding figures like Osiris, Isis and Ra.