Paleolithic & Neolithic Art

By t145139
  • Period: 40,000 BCE to 10,000 BCE

    Paleolithic Art

    Key Features :
    Naturalistic animal forms and minimal landscapes
    Focus on survival and hunting
    Cave Paintings Context :
    Created by nomadic hunter-gatherers
    Art likely had ritual, spiritual, or survival-related purposes
    Strong connection to nature and animals Major Artists : Not Known
  • Paleolithic, Unknown, Venus of Willendorf, c. 28,000–25,000 BCE, limestone sculpture, Naturhistorisches Museum, Vienna
    28,000 BCE

    Paleolithic, Unknown, Venus of Willendorf, c. 28,000–25,000 BCE, limestone sculpture, Naturhistorisches Museum, Vienna

    The Venus of Willendorf represents Paleolithic relations with fertility and abundance through body features that are emphasized with a simplified form. Probably serving a symbolic or ritual purpose, the figure tries to promote reproduction and survival rather than individual identity or realism.
  • Paleolithic, Unknown, Hall of the Bulls (Lascaux), 15,000–13,000 BCE, cave painting, Lascaux Caves, France
    15,000 BCE

    Paleolithic, Unknown, Hall of the Bulls (Lascaux), 15,000–13,000 BCE, cave painting, Lascaux Caves, France

    The Hall of the Bulls shows naturalism through its large animal forms and confident use of contour and scale. Created deep within a cave, the paintings reflect the spiritual and ritual importance of animals in hunter-gatherer societies, possibly linked to hunting magic and survival beliefs.
  • Paleolithic, Unknown, Bison Licking Insect Bite, 15,000 BCE, cave painting, Altamira Caves, Spain
    15,000 BCE

    Paleolithic, Unknown, Bison Licking Insect Bite, 15,000 BCE, cave painting, Altamira Caves, Spain

    This cave painting shows an advanced observation and naturalistic modeling of animal anatomy. It has subtle shading and volume, which highlight the importance of animals in Paleolithic life, reinforcing their central role in ritual and daily survival.
  • Period: 10,000 BCE to 3000 BCE

    Neolithic Art

    Time Period, Began: 10,000 BCE, Peak: 7,000–4,000 BCE, Decline: 3,000 BCE
    Key Features: More abstract and symbolic forms, architecture tied to agriculture, community, ritual,
    Context: Nomadic life to settled farming communities, and a development of social hierarchy and organized religion, the art reflects communal identity and ritual practices
  • Neolithic, Unknown, Seated Woman of Catalhoyuk, 6000 BCE, clay sculpture, Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, Ankara
    6000 BCE

    Neolithic, Unknown, Seated Woman of Catalhoyuk, 6000 BCE, clay sculpture, Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, Ankara

    The Seated Woman of Catalhoyuk shows Neolithic fertility symbolism through its body forms and it being seated with a confident type of posture. Its associated with early agricultural communities suggesting the growing importance of fertility, abundance, and spiritual belief systems tied to land cultivation.
  • Neolithic, Unknown, Megalithic Tombs (Newgrange), 3200 BCE, stone architecture, County Meath, Ireland
    3200 BCE

    Neolithic, Unknown, Megalithic Tombs (Newgrange), 3200 BCE, stone architecture, County Meath, Ireland

    The stones show Neolithic advancements in architecture and ritual practice through its solar alignment and monumental stone construction. The tomb also reflects beliefs surrounding death, rebirth, and cosmic order within early settled communities.
  • Neolithic, Unknown, Stonehenge, 3000–2000 BCE, stone monument, Salisbury Plain, England
    3000 BCE

    Neolithic, Unknown, Stonehenge, 3000–2000 BCE, stone monument, Salisbury Plain, England

    Stonehenge shows monumentality and community effort through its large stone construction and astronomical alignment. It also reflects a shift toward organized ritual, social structure, and a deeper relationship with cosmology in settled societies.