Human civilization has come a long way of development and has achieved impressive results.Contemporary art - one of them.But everything has its beginning.How did the painting and who they were - the first artists in the world?
Home prehistoric art - types and forms
In the Stone Age, the Paleolithic first appears primitive art.It had various forms.These were rites, music, dance and song, as well as putting images on various surfaces - rock paintings of primitive people.This period is the creation of the first man-made and constructions - megaliths, dolmens and menhirs, the purpose of which is still unknown.The most famous of them - Stonehenge in Salisbury, consisting of cromlechs (upright stones).
Household items such as jewelry, toys, also belong to the art of primitive people.
periodization
scientists have no doubt about the origin of the time of primitive art.It began to take shape in the mid-Paleolithic, during the period of the late Neanderthals.The culture of the time is called Mousterian.
Neanderthals knew how to handle the rock, creating tools.On some subjects, scientists found depressions and incisions in the form of crosses forming a primitive ornament.At the time, still could not draw, but the guard has already been used.It was found ground off its pieces, like a pencil, which was used.
Primitive rock painting - definition
It is a type of primitive art.It is a picture, paint on the surface of the ancient walls of the cave man.Most of the objects found in Europe, but there are paintings of ancient people in Asia.The main area of distribution of rock art - the territory of modern Spain and France.
doubts scientists
a long time, modern science was not aware of the fact that the art of primitive man has reached such a high level.The drawings in the caves of ancient people did not find until the XIX century.So when they were first discovered, they took for falsification.
history of opening
ancient rock painting was found by an amateur archaeologist, a Spanish lawyer Marcelino Sanz de Sautuola.
This discovery is connected with dramatic events.In the Spanish province of Cantabria in 1868, a hunter discovered the cave.The entrance was littered with debris chipped rock.In 1875, it examined the de Sautuola.At that time he found only tools.The find was the most common.Four years later, amateur archaeologist Altamirskuyu again visited the cave.He was accompanied by 9-year-old daughter, who discovered and drawings.Together with his friend, archaeologist Juan Vilanova Pierre de Sautuola engaged in excavations of the cave.Shortly before the exhibition objects of the Stone Age, he saw an image of buffalo, surprisingly reminiscent of the ancient rock painting of a man who could see his daughter Maria.Sautuola suggested that found in the cave paintings of animals Altamirskoy belong to the Paleolithic.In this he was supported and Wilanow-Pierre.
Scientists have published the shocking results of their excavations.And then he was accused of falsifying scientific world.Leading experts in the field of archeology categorically rejected the possibility of discovery of Paleolithic art of time.Marcelino de Sautuola charged that the paintings of ancient people allegedly found them were painted another archaeologist, guests in those days with him.
Only 15 years after the death of the man who discovered the world wonderful examples of art of ancient people, his opponents have recognized the truth of Marcelino de Sautuola.By the time these drawings in the caves of ancient people were found in the Font-de-Gaume, Trois Frères, les combarelles and Rouffignac in France, Bale d'Oduber in the Pyrenees and other regions.All of them have been attributed to the Paleolithic era.Thus, the good name of a Spanish scientist who has committed one of the most notable discoveries in archeology, has been restored.
Skill ancient artists
Rock painting, a photo of which are shown below, is made up of a plurality of images of different animals.They are dominated by figures of bison.Those who first saw the paintings of ancient people, found in the cave of Altamira, amazed how professional they are made.This superb craftsmanship of the ancient artists and led at the time to begin to doubt their authenticity scientists.
Ancient people did not immediately learned how to create accurate depictions of animals.They have been found drawings, which barely outlined the contours, so it is practically impossible to know who the artist wanted to portray.Gradually drawing skills got better and have been able to quite accurately convey the image of an animal.
For the first drawings of ancient people may also include handprints found in many caves.
hand smeared with paint applied to the wall, the resulting impression of contours in a different color on the contour lies in a circle.According to researchers, this action was of great ritual significance for ancient man.
Topics painting first artists
rock painting of ancient man reflects the reality that surrounds it.It displays what worried him most.The main occupation of the Paleolithic and the way food production was hunting.Therefore, the animals - the main motive of the drawings of the period.As already mentioned, in Europe, have been found in a variety of images of bison, deer, horses, goats, bears.They passed not static and in motion.Animals run, jump, frolic and die, pierced by the spear of the hunter.
In the cave of Lascaux, located in France, is the largest ancient image of the bull.Its size - more than five meters.In other countries, the ancient artists also painted those animals that lived near them.In Somalia, it was found the image of giraffes in India - tigers and crocodiles, in the caves of the Sahara there are drawings of ostriches and elephants.Besides animals, the first artists painted scenes of hunting and the people, but very rarely.
Appointment petroglyphs
Why did the ancient people depicted animals and people on the walls of caves and other sites, is unknown.As had already started to form a religion, most likely, they had a profound ritual significance.Figure "Hunting" of the ancient people, according to some researchers, a symbol of a successful outcome of the struggle with the beast.Others believe that they created the shamans of the tribe, goes into a trance and try to get through the image of a special power.Ancient artists have lived for a long time, but because the motives of the creation of figures unknown to modern scholars.
paints and tools
to create figures of primitive artists used a special technique.At first they was scratched with a chisel the image of an animal on the surface of a rock or stone, and then applied the paint on it.It is made of natural materials - different colors of ocher and black pigment, which is extracted from charcoal.For fixing the dyes used organics animals (blood, fat, medulla) and water.Colors available to the ancient artists were few: yellow, red, black, brown.
paintings of ancient people had a few features.Sometimes they are superimposed on each other.Most artists painted a large number of animals.In this case, the figures in the foreground carefully portrayed, and the rest - schematic.Primitive man did not create compositions in the vast majority of their drawings - a chaotic jumble of images.Today found a few "pictures", which have a uniform composition.
In the Paleolithic period have already been created and the first painting tools.These were primitive sticks and brushes made from animal fur.Ancient artists and cared about the coverage of their "canvases."Lamps were found to have done in the form of stone bowls.They poured oil and put the wick.
Chauvet Cave
She was found in 1994 in France, and its collection of paintings recognized as the most ancient.Laboratory tests helped determine the age of the drawings - the earliest of which were made 36,000 years ago.There were found images of animals that lived during the Ice Age.This woolly rhinoceros, cave lion, buffalo, panther, Tarpan (ancestor of the modern horse).Figures perfectly preserved thanks to the fact that thousands of years ago the cave entrance was littered.
Now it is closed to the public.The microclimate in which there are images may violate human presence.A few hours it can hold only its researchers.To visit the spectators decided to open a replica of the cave not far from it.
Lascaux
This is another famous place where found paintings of ancient people.Cave discovered by four teenagers in 1940.Now her collection of paintings of the ancient artists of the Paleolithic has 1900 images.
place has become very popular among the visitors.A huge flow of tourists has resulted in damage to the drawings.This was due to an overabundance of carbon dioxide exhaled by people.In 1963 it was decided to close the cave to the public.But problems with the preservation of the ancient pictures exist to this day.The microclimate of Lascaux was irretrievably broken, and now the figures are constantly monitored.
Conclusion
paintings of ancient people amaze us with their realism and skill of execution.The artists of the time were able to convey not only the authentic look of the animal, but his movement and habits.In addition to aesthetic and artistic value of the paintings of primitive artists is an important material for studying the fauna of the period.Thanks to those found in the Chauvet cave drawings, scientists have made a startling discovery: it turned out that the lions and rhinos, native inhabitants of the hot southern countries in the era of the Stone Age lived in Europe.
