Unit 5 Topic 1 Prehistoric Art

Unit 5: Taking a Glimpse of Art History
UNIT 5
Taking a Glimpse of Art History
Introduction
Art shows the beauty of the past as history tells us the story of earlier times.
Learning about prehistoric art is like travelling thousands of years back and giving
us opportunities to learn how art was utilized by our ancestors, how they valued it
and how this depicted their daily lives.
In this module we will journey back to visit the cave paintings of prehistoric people
during the Stone Age. We will appreciate the beautiful ornaments they carved with
their hands using limited hand tools and see how these things were intertwined with
their daily activities. The module will familiarize you with the monumental and
architectural structures erected in Southern England, Egypt, China and other parts
of the world. We will also explore the beautiful artworks found in our own country.
More will be unpacked as you go along this module so pack your curiosity and
inquisitiveness as we travel along. Bring your artistic sense and knowledge of
history. These will all be your travel guides in our journey to appreciate arts thought
the history.
Unit Learning Outcomes:

At the end of the unit, you will be able to:
a. be familiar the different artworks from the different parts of the world.
b. differentiate the characteristics of the different artworks from Asia,
Philippines and the Western countries.
c. show appreciation of the different artworks through different activities.
Topic 1: Prehistoric Art

Time Allotment: 3 hours
Learning Objectives:
At the end of the module, you will be able to:
a. distinguish salient characteristics of artworks produced by pre-historic
people from different countries;
b. create a collage capturing the way of life of the pre-historic people; and
c. demonstrate your appreciation of the different pre-historic artworks
through differentiated activities.
Presentation of Content
Instructions: Read the text and try to answer the following guide questions. Get
ready for sharing your answers to the class.
1. What artworks are found in the different places in the word?
2. What are the main characteristics of these artworks?
3. Which of these places would you like to visit? Why?
Prehistoric Arts from the Different Parts of the World

The prehistoric period covers the three periods of Stone Age (roughly from 14,000-
2,000 BCE) which include Paleolithic (Old Stone Age), Mesolithic (Middle Stone
Age) and the Neolithic (New Stone Age).
Archeological artifacts reveal magnificent artworks found in caves such as the Hall
of Bulls in Lascaux, France during Paleolithic Period. Contours of animal’s body
can be seen in the drawings evoking naturalism. Some say that these kinds of caves
also found in other parts of the world served as a kind of sanctuary where religious
rituals are performed (Caslib, 2018).
Development in the civilizations are also seen in the Stonehenge located in
Southern England which until now is a mystery. Its purpose is yet unknown.
Chinese Art. Prehistoric art in China emerged during the period 7500BCE to
2000BCE characterized by a more settled lifestyle based on farming, rearing of
domesticated animals which led them to create crafts such as pottery and weaving.
Though arts for them is functional, artists were able to focus on ornamentation and
decoration as well. Jewelry, carvings, sculptures in wood and stone. Other forms
evolved in China which capture the richness of the Chinese culture (www.visual –
arts-cork.com).
Leftt: Jade Dragon from Zhuo Dynasty

https://www.ancient.eu/article/1088/jade-in-
ancient-china/
Right: A storage jar with refined design
created during Bronze Age (1766-221B.C.)
http://archive.artsmia.org/art-of-
asia/ceramics/early-chinese-ceramics-
bronze.cfm.html
Egyptian Art. Egyptian prehistoric art can be described as spiritual and religious.
Tombs were erected for the pharaohs which shelter them as they journey to the
afterlife. They decorated the tombs with the things they use in daily life. Pharaohs
are also given absolute authority and revered as deities. The pyramids were
constructed by workers who painstakingly moved huge stones and materials
ensuring the excellent quality of the outside and inside of it. The palette of King
Namer is larger than the others and some figures such as lion-like figures with
intertwined necks, denoting authority and power of the king (Caslib, 2018).
The Great Sphinx of Giza carved in limestone Narmer Palette depicting King Narmer
conquering his enemies (c.3100 BCE)
during the reign of King Khafre (2558-2532 BCE)
https://www.ancient.eu/The_Great_Sphinx_of_Giza/ https://www.ancient.eu
Philippine Art. The Philippines is known for its Manunggul jar, a

burial jar, found in Palawan in the New Stone Age dated 895-775
BC. It represents the artistry and understanding of early Filipinos
about their belief in the journey that a soul travels in
the so called life after death or “kabilang buhay”. The jar’s
lid is designed with two human figures representing two two
souls on a vogaye to the afterlife
(www.nationalmuseum.gov.ph.).
The oldest known works of art form from Philippines

prehistory are the Angono petroglyphs. The Angono
petroglyphs are located on the island of Luzon in Rizal
province. A petroglyph is an engraving in a rock face. It can
be found all over the world and represents the work of prehistoric
peoples. A petroglyph is different form a petrograph. Petrographs are drawing or
painting on a rock face. Some petroglyphs are thought to be a form of
communication. They may be maps or even an early form of writing. Petroglyphs
may also have an important cultural and religious significance to early cultures
(http:www.alearningfamily.com/main/angono-petroglyphs-prehistoric-philippine-art).
Greek Art. Prehistoric Greek paintings bear motif of sea and nature during the pre-
Greek period. In the next period Egyptian influence can be seen. Human characters
are expression of divine system.
Prehistoric sculptures
were figures of nude
male statues in
Daedalic Period. In
Classical age came
sculptures of gods and
goddesses. The
human body became the
emphasis of art during
this period.
Moving to later Greek
The Parthenon, 447-432 BC, Athens period showed figures of
human with minimal
clothing. In architecture, Ancient Greek temples consist of three architectural
orders called the Corinthian, Ionic and Doric Orders (Ariola, 2014).
The Parthenon ranks among the masterpieces of world architecture. It has
monumental entrances or propylae. It is best represented by the famous gateway to
the Athenian acropolis. The magnificent temple was dedicated to the deity Athena
constructed to show the greatness of the Greeks who defeated Persian Armies of
Darius and Xerxes.
Roman Art. Greek and Etruscan
influences were evident in Roman
art. The Roman’s important
contribution to the development of
architecture are: its structural
engineering particularly in
developing concrete reinforced by
embedded brick arches and powerful
materials for creating new vaults.
These were the flexible groined vault
and the dome, and the (2)
engineering design in planning cities
in orderly blocks and in creating the
balanced layout of the great civic
centers called forums. (The The Colosseum
http://www.colosseum.net/listingview.php?listingID=1
Development of Western Thought,
Reading in Art…Vol. I 1976, pp.93-
94)

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Unit 5: Taking a Glimpse of Art History

Unit Learning Outcomes:

Topic 1: Prehistoric Art

Prehistoric Arts from the Different Parts of the World

Leftt: Jade Dragon from Zhuo Dynasty

Philippine Art. The Philippines is known for its Manunggul jar, a

The oldest known works of art form from Philippines

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