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Essay on ancient art cave paintings
Lower middle and upper paleolithic
Lower middle and upper paleolithic
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Cave Paintings have been dated back 30,000 years ago, during a time called the Upper Paleolithic Period where homo-sapiens began to express themselves through rock art and drawings on the walls throughout caves in mostly France and Africa. The process of the art being made was resulted from rocks being ground up to make pigments which were often first engraved into the cave walls or painted directly on them in black and ochre colors. There is no absolute reason behind these cave paintings, but scientist have thought of theories behind the talented artists work. The main three categories that have been studied are animal drawings, shamanism, and human paintings; all of which give reason to a new evolution of the human mind and how the meaning behind the cave art can be an insightful look at what homo-sapiens experienced thousands of years ago. One hypothesis behind the meaning of cave art is that is was a ritual meant to bring good luck to the hunt. During the Paleolithic period many paintings of animals such as bison, deer, cattle, horses, mammoths, bears, and reindeer were cascaded across the walls of caves along with geometric shapes. Although the meaning behind the geometric shapes is still unclear, the animal drawings could be seen as a symbol of what homo-sapiens hunted and this desire for food could have driven the imagination to create art within the caves. Possibly the animals that had been killed were painted in honor of their sacrifice, or perhaps they were painted on account of a successful hunt as a way of remembering their good fortune. This could possibly be their way of keeping a journal or a record of the animals that had been killed or seen but not hunted. The theory of the painting bringing the hunters good... ... middle of paper ... ... cave art that has been created and studied throughout France and Africa is a great tool to understanding what homo-sapiens have experienced and how they survived through the thousands of years, yet there is no definite answer to the reason behind these paintings. Whether it be for joy and creative reasons, or to document the types of animals and necessities of life that were a conscious need and tool of survival will remain unknown. The depiction of animals versus humans, and how shamanism can be a reason of how they could have been created is the best standing explanation to the cave art. The meaning behind the drawings may not be as factual as dating the art, the process and materials used, or the place the art has been found; but the meaning and what has driven our ancestors to this spur of creativity is the most important question that still remains unanswered.
More than forty-five thousand years ago, there have existed two types of bipedal humans, the Neanderthals and Homo sapiens, but only one has survived. The survivors were the humans who we are comprised out of and still breathing and living today the Homo sapiens. Some scientist say that the lack of imagination was the key factor to the Neanderthals demise, while the Homo sapiens with a broader imagination lived on. In Karen Armstrong’s essay “Homo religiosus” she describes her time in the caverns of Lascaux, while she explains the painting on the walls as part of the ancient civilization’s rituals. The painting tells us a story of their daily lives and the myths in which they believe in, that keeps them in a peace of mind. As there were many
Rathnasambhava, the Transcendent Buddha of the South and Madonna Enthroned are very similar images that were produced by very different cultures. Both images were produced during the 13th Century. The image of Rathnasambhava, the Transcendent Buddha of the South was produced in Tibet during an interesting period of the country’s religious history. The branch of Tibetan Buddhism is led by a religious and sometimes political leader called the Dalai Lama. It was during the 13th Century during the reign of Kublai Khan, around the time of the production of this painting, that Tibet experienced the first incarnation of the Dalai Lama. One has to wonder if this painting is somehow related to that occurrence. According to one source, the reincarnation system for the Living Buddhas is the main point distinguishing Tibetan Buddhism from other forms of Buddhism.
From the ornamented caves of the prehistoric era to the surreal colors of impressionistic paintings, art has always been a medium for conveying human thoughts and emotions. By analyzing this artwork, much can be learned about human history, tendencies, psychology, culture, and the like. For instance, by comparing a sunken relief of Horus—considered to be the Egyptian god of the sky, sun, and war—with the Torso of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, many hidden intricacies of Egyptian and Grecian civilization as well as the motives of the artists themselves can be revealed. Each piece of artwork was created in the same general time period (they are both ancient), composed of different materials, guided by social standards, and composed of a spiritual aura; within these similarities, however, lay a myriad of unique features.
My friends, after traveling through the Asian continent and Japan, I continued on to the Americas. The art in the Americas has three regions, North America, Central America, and South America. Each region has a very distinct aspect to their forms of art. All cultures have some kind of art. Being curious about art, I have collected samples from five different areas. The following works of art are very different from European art, but there are still some similarities. The similarities of the human spirit are evident in the following images.
Soon after, many visitors began coming to the cave. What was it these people were so excited to see? When visitors first entered the cave they had to go down a twenty-meter slope, which led to the first hall, The Great Hall Of Bulls. The first thing they saw in the Great Hall of Bulls were the black bulls. Attention is quickly focused on them because of their great size compared to the other paintings. Also found in the Great Hall of Bulls are pictures of horses, deer, a small bear, and a primitive unicorn. “The strange so-called Unicorn appears to be walking towards the interior of the cave.
The Lascaux Cave in Dordogne, France is important to scientists because it explains the civilization’s culture and history in painting and the people’s artistic talents and use of paints. Further, the quality and bright paintings show animals, bison, deer, bears [Fig.1-4] and large mammoth animals. The cave and the paintings are significant because there are generations of paintings amongst one another. For instance [Fig.5] shows a horse that was painted over of the bull and then some smaller horses that were painted over that. Therefore, the paintings were done over a long period of time with many different painters and represents different time periods; archeologists saw that the people lived in a cave beside this one, so this cave could have been more spiritual and if there was many animals painted in the cave the people would believe that there would be enough food for them in the forests (Bolman, n.d.) It also supports animism, which is the belief that natural objects, natural phenomena, and the universe itself possess souls (Animism, 2014). The paintings reflect the development...
Otzi had various clothes and hand tools, which helped archaeologists figure out what his life may have been like. A cooper ax for chopping firewood, a six-foot bow with 14 arrows for hunting game, a woven grass cape for extra warmth, a deerskin coat for protection from the cold, a flint knife with a leather case for cutting, and leather pants of animal skins and leather boots insulated with grass to keep the legs and feet warm. These are the reasons Otzi was considered a significant artifact of this time period. Cave paintings also helped improve our understanding of what life was like for early man in the Paleolithic Age. On September 12, 1940, in the Lascaux cave (in Lascaux, France), 4 teenagers discovered a collection of prehistoric paintings (over 600). According to archaeologists, the Paleolithic people found a way to express themselves through their artwork. It was the first art in global history. In addition, the paint came from iron dust, sand, clay, crushed rocks, fruits, charcoal, and blood. Their artwork conveys different messages. The moving animals shows that they were
Humans and animals have always coexisted together for as long as man could remember and exist. They would hunt each other for survival, sometimes man would come out as the victor, and sometimes it was the animal. Mankind would feast on them like they would feast on us. With time, this relationship would change. The animals would become our companions as well as being our food. They would become our hunting tools, such as in tracking prey. They would later be used as our means of transport and also as labor tools, such as when humans would need help working on their farmland. Let’s not forget that they also provide us with entertainment, such as in a zoo or as a circus attraction. Although only some cultures still consider some animals as sacred, most of us look down on them, consider them inferior to us. There was however a time when we worshipped them more and even admired them. We will explore this worship and admiration of animals in this essay as we compare and contrast the depictions of animals in the Upper Paleolithic period in cave arts and in Ancient Egypt in order to identify the presence of a shift, if there was one, in our reverence of animals in between both periods.
One painting depicts a man fatally wounding a bison with a spear, but himself mortally wounded from being gored. The paintings also have hand and forearm outlines, possibly being some sort of ancient signature. Many of the paintings also tell a story through artistic detail. One painting titled Falling Horses, was painted upside down. Many researchers regard the meaning behind the painting, as ancient hunters would drive herds over the side of cliffs. One of the most famous paintings, is of a prehistoric animal that is not known to man. The painting is titled The Apocalyptic Beast, which researches speculate is an ancient ox or rhinoceros. Breuil and other Archeologists determined the Lascaux paintings may be as old as 15,000 to 10,000 B.C.E., with other researchers believing the cave may be from an older period (Cannon, 2006). Archeologists adopted this new period that they coined, the Perigordian
Throughout history man has always had a vivid imagination. In prehistoric times, old man used to write stories, tales and such upon their cave dwelling walls. These were performed through the use of symbols. These symbols, called hieroglyphics, portrayed the thoughts and creativity of their authors. Boszhardt once said while talking about the cave pictures in Wisconsin, "When I first visited the cave, I was skeptical about the possible art that Daniel had written to me about, But once my flashlight came upon some of the drawings, there was no question that this was authentic Native American art. The birds, deer, and bow hunters are of styles that had to be prehistoric, and the charcoal had been absorbed into the rock. I was literally stunned--this was real, this was old, and there was a lot of it."
The myth of the Cave, found in the seventh book of Plato’s Republic, depicts a group of people chained in the pit of a cavern, unable to see anything but the shadows of people, and the objects they carry with them, traveling past a fire behind them (186-7). This serves as an illustration of the epistemology Socrates had begun to develop in the preceding book with the images of the Sun and the Line. It also functions as a segue into the related discussion of educational theory. Additionally, though less apparent, the analogy can also be read as a defense of philosophy, an important topic for Plato in light of his teacher’s infamous death, “the founding myth of the academic discipline of philosophy” (Nails). Plato gives a heroic portrayal of
Ancient Aboriginal rock art allows society to understand Australia’s extensive history, as it provides an insight into the lives of the early Australian inhabitants with evidence from these rock art sites tracing back to people have lived and painted in these caves and rock shelters in the past thousands of years. They also illustrate aspects of religious Aboriginal beliefs, rites and rituals such as weddings and funerals, show the importance of the land to the aborigines and their connection with the land. They also provide a better understanding of ancestral beings and records events of their everyday life such as a successful hunt or initiation into a tribe or more important events such as the arrival of the Europeans. Ever since the arrival of the Europeans, the Aboriginal Dreamtime has been slowly been forgotten, but rock art holds a special link to Aboriginal Dreamtime stories, reminding people of these stories even though the stories of the arrival of the Europeans may overtake those of the Dreamtime. Even though some people in contemporary society may see Aboriginal art as insignificant, descendants of the Aboriginal community view rock art as the main influential source that allows them to understand the religious backgrounds and traditions of their ancestors. These descendants can then try to reconstruct the paintings to preserve and continue their tradition by educating the younger generations about their history.
Evolution is a natural way of life. As humans we are evolutionary creatures who's purpose it is to find meaning in our lives, to grow, learn and question the world around us. Perhaps the best way to explain my point is to look towards art and creativity. All artist wether they are painters, sculptures, musicians of filmmakers have most likely been influenced by the works of others. If we trace the growth of human creativity we find inspiration can be drawn, interpreted and reinvented in many different ways. Cave paintings for example date from more than 12000 years ago, they represent our need to express inner feeling and make others think about what it is they see. If we look millions of years down the line Graffiti replaces these cave drawings but essentially creates the same purpose, to express our deepest emotions as artists.
For the Paleolithic people hunting and gathering was a way to survive. With that, I believe that the animals were sacred. They were a gift that gave them the ability to be able to have clothes, and food. Even the bones were used as tools. That is why I believe that after every animal was killed there was a ceremony to commemorate the sacrifice. It was an honor to be able to have the animals there as a resource. With the painting of the people on the wall they are shown in a circle. A circle of people is normally when a gathering is occurring, usually for a special event. I see it as the men would go out and hunt all day. While the women and children are taking care of the home. For when the men come home it will be ready to thank the animal
The earliest Indigenous art was paintings or engravings on boulders or on the walls of rock shelters and caves. Red ochre was being used for painting at least 30,000 years ago in central Australia. Indigenous people relate these very old images to the actions of Dreaming beings. The images are sacred because they show a continuing ancestral