Art History - All Saints CHS Arts Department

Art History
Stone Age – As far as we know, people could paint, sculpt and draw at least
20,000 years before they could read and write.
Art Form – Cave paintings of vivid life like pictures of animals such as cattle, deer and bison. The animals were usually
painted in profile with some detail and action. People on the other hand, are shown as stick figures with spears. They
used pigments found in nature (plants, etc.)
Why – It was believed to be part of some magic rituals or celebration of a successful hunt.
Where – France, Spain, Western USA, Africa, and Australia.
Prehistoric Cave Art Found at Lascaux
On September 12, 1940, four boys formed a small expedition team to explore a shaft they found while hiking through the
sloping woods above Lascaux manor. Armed with shovels and picks, they expanded the restricted opening enough to
enable them to descend into the unexplored chambers below. As they made their way through the narrow entrance shaft
into the largest room of the cave, the young explorers noticed the walls and ceiling were adorned with brightly colored
renderings of bulls and other animals. The boys had stumbled upon one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of the
twentieth century—the Paleolithic paintings at Lascaux Cave, almost 17,000 years old.
The Cave at Lascaux, or Lascaux Grotto, is located in hills surrounding the Vézère River valley near the village of Montignac,
Dordogne, in southwest France. It is one of 150 prehistoric settlements, and nearly two dozen painted caves, dating back
to the Stone Age in the Vézère valley. Lascaux Grotto contains perhaps the most unprecedented exhibit of prehistoric art
discovered to date.
Let’s Tour the Caves!
There are 7 areas: The Hall of the Bulls, the Axial Gallery, The Passageway, The Nave, Chamber of the Felines, The Apse,
and The Shaft. (http://www.lascaux.culture.fr/?lng=en#/en/02_01.xml)
While we are touring, let’s fill in some important info and do some quick contour sketches:
1.
Identify the 3 main animal themes and draw a quick contour sketch example of each:
Animal Theme #1: ________________
Animal Theme #2: ________________
Animal Theme #3: ________________
Arrangement: ___________________
Arrangement: ___________________
Arrangement: ___________________
2. Identify 3 different ways that the drawings of the animals were arranged and on the 3 examples you just drew in #1.
3. What colours are mainly used: ______________,______________,______________,______________,______________.
4. What view are the images always in? (head on? Underneath? Profile/side view? Top Vies?) _______________________.
5. Are the drawings very detailed? Yes/ No
The Bradshaw Paintings - Ancient Rock Paintings of North-West Australia
Now let’s watch a quick video about the Bradshaw cave paintings in Australia. Let’s answer a few questions as
we go.
1. What is the biggest difference between the Bradshaw Paintings and the Lescaux Cave Paintings (and really
all European Cave Paintings)?
____________________________________________________________________.
2. Let’s sketch some of these figures:
3. What colours are the figures? ________________________________________________________________
4. What colours are the backgrounds/walls? ______________________________________________________
Instructions
Step 1 – Take your sample paper and test out your new Pastel techniques (layering, blending, edging)
Step 2 – Decide which style you are going to create your artwork in:
a. The style of the Lescaux Caves
i. Use animals from one of the 3 animal themes (listed above)
ii. Laid out in one of the 3 ways we sketched above (using geometric shapes to fill in
negative space if needed)
iii. Use correct colours
iv. Use a background with cave like colours and geometric shapes appropriate for
France and creatively rip the edges of your paper, then mount on a coloured mat
OR Use a geometric border of shapes appropriate for France.
b. The Style of the Australian Bradshaw Paintings
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
Use traditional figures (as we sketched)
Laid out in one of the 3 ways we identified in the Lescaux caves
Use browns and reds and blacks to create the figures
Use authentic background colour/shades (blends of browns, yellows, oranges,
blacks) and using geometric shapes to fill in negative space if needed.
v. Use a background with cave like colours and geometric shapes appropriate for
Australia and creatively rip the edges of your paper, then mount on a coloured mat
OR Use a geometric border of shapes appropriate for Australia.
Step 2 – create 4 thumbnail sketches below – check out the reminders in Step 3.
Step 3 – in light H pencil draw your rough sketch on your good paper. Remember:
1. the paper has a tooth to it (essential when using pastels) so you won’t be able to
erase often. Be careful.
2. Make sure you have good balance. Make sure your main figure(s) touch all 4 sides
of the edge/border, and use one of the 3 ways to arranged your artwork.
3. It is a top view of the animal/figure
4. It shouldn’t have a ton of details – cave paintings were simple.
5. Use your new pastel techniques (layering, blending, edging)
Step 5 – decide what colours you are going to use (no more than 5) and keep them ‘prehistoric’ (YES =
earth tones, NO really bright colours like florescent pink)
Step 6 – Are you ready to start your good copy? You are when you have:
1. Finished 4 thumbnail sketches
2. Chosen your favourite sketch
3. Written down your colours on your thumbnail sketch (max. 5)
If you answered YES to all these, RAISE YOUR HAND and I will bring your good paper and pastels.
Step 6 – start colouring with pastels from the top corner and out (opposite for left handed people).
Also, colour the lightest colours first, then to the darkest. Pastels can be very messy so do this and
you’ll be fine. To blend colours, use a small piece of paper towel on your finger or wrapped around
the end of your pencil’s eraser, and rub gently (too much and you will wear through the paper).
The better you work, the more time you will have! 
Examples of Geometric Signs for your Borders
(these are individual images, you would repeat them over and over all the way around your page)
France 
Australia 
Examples of Geometric Borders
(this is a small section you would repeat over and over all the way around your page)
Examples of Animals For Your Lescaux Caves Artworks
Examples of Lescaux Images
Examples of Bradshaw Paintings
STUDENT NAME: ________________________________________________
Categories
Knowledge/Understanding
Understanding of the assignment
 Completed the handout (info and
sketches)
 link to primitive art in both style and
subject matter
 border/background uses correct
geometric shapes for the
country/style
Thinking/ Inquiry
Use of design process
 thumbnail sketches
 balance (more positive than
negative space)
 interesting composition
Communication
Expression & organization of ideas
 expresses the culture appropriate
to the time
50-59%
(Level 1)
70-79%
(Level 3)
80-100%
(Level 4)
- demonstrates
considerable knowledge or
understanding of the
assignment
- demonstrates thorough
knowledge or
understanding of the
assignment
- demonstrates limited
knowledge or
understanding of the
assignment
- demonstrates some
knowledge or
understanding of the
assignment
- uses critical/creative
thinking process with
limited effectiveness
- uses critical/creative
- uses critical/creative
- uses critical/creative
thinking process with some thinking process with
thinking process with a
effectiveness
considerable effectiveness high degree of
effectiveness
- expresses and organizes - expresses and organizes - expresses and organizes - expresses and
ideas with limited
ideas with some
ideas with considerable
organizes ideas with a
effectiveness
effectiveness
effectiveness
high degree of
effectiveness
- applies and transfers
Application
knowledge with limited
Transfer of knowledge and skills
effectiveness
 Degree of difficulty
 Complexity of design
 Use of colour
 Creativity & originality
Use of media
- uses media with limited
effectiveness
 Shows confidence with pastels
 Various techniques used effectively
 crisp edges,
 No smudges
Comments:
60-69%
(Level 2)
- applies and transfers
knowledge with some
effectiveness
- applies and transfers
- applies and transfers
knowledge with
knowledge with a high
considerable effectiveness degree of effectiveness
- uses media with some
effectiveness
- uses media with
- uses media with a high
considerable effectiveness degree of effectiveness
Level