ca. 15,000 BCE
Lascaux, Dordogne, France
Paint on limestone
Largest bull approx. 12' long.

1. READ THIS ARTICLE 

2. VISIT THE CAVE - EXPLORE!

3. WATCH THIS VIDEO :

AFTER CAREFULLY REVIEWING THE RESOURCES ASSIGNED ABOVE: Answer the following questions completely and with specificity to the provided resources, personal reflection, and additional research as needed:
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1. What materials and processes were used to make these images?
2. What is another term for "composite view?" What does this type of perspective intend to communicate?
3. What are some possible reasons for the creation of these images?  What are your thoughts about these prehistoric people and their possible reasons for making art?

CURIOUS? Here's more information:

• Newly discovered Cave paintings change ideas about the origin of art (article includes a video)
• Here's another video:

c. 28,000 - 25,000 BCE 
from Willendorf, Austria 
Limestone 
approx. 41/4” tall
Naturhistorisches Museum
​Vienna, Austria

















(NOTE: This sculpture was originally the "Venus" of Willendorf and you will still see that title used frequently. The term, "Venus," the Roman goddess of love, refers generically to nude female figures. Since Venus came into mythological existence far later in history than this sculpture, it is fairly inaccurate to use this term and so contemporary art historians no longer do) 

The Woman of Willendorf is one of the earliest images of the body made by humankind. It stands just over 4 inches tall and was carved approximately 25,000 years ago. It was discovered on the banks of the Danube River, in Austria, and it was most likely made by hunter-gatherers who lived in the area. The environment at that time was much colder and bleaker then present-day, a remnant of Europe's last ice age.

Why were prehistoric humans stimulated by an exaggerated image such as this? The answer, according to neuroscientist V.S. Ramachandran and others, lies in the workings of the human brain, in a neurological principle known as the "peak shift."

The people who made this statue lived in a harsh environment where features of fatness and fertility would have been highly desirable. In neurological terms, these features amounted to hyper-normal stimuli that activate neuron responses in the brain. So in Paleolithic-people-terms, the parts that mattered most had to do with successful reproduction. Therefore, these parts were isolated and amplified by the artist's brain. 

Many such "Venus" figures have been found in a wide variety of locations. Even when separated by great distances, these sculptures look eerily similar...think about it....that's pretty fascinating.

adapted from: http://www.pbs.org/howartmadetheworld/episodes/human/venus/