Ismael Arriaza

Art 100 Unit 2 Summary   

In the Prehistory and Prehistoric Art of Europe the three dimensional pieces are examples of sculptures in the round.  Relief sculptures have been produced in stone, bone, and ivory.  A form of art during this time period was the memory image.  The memory image was an image that depended on the generic shapes and relationship that came to mind when an image was mentioned.  Cave art was another form which the images depicted running, or resting animals.  Some of the animals used were the bison, the wild horse, the bear, etc.  Male and female figures were used, as well as handprint.  One of the most complex cave paintings are located at Lascaux.  They used contours of the rock as part of their compositions.  Henge circles were built of stone or post surrounded by a ditch.  Neolithic artists made ceramics of baked clay.
In the Art of the Near East the Sumerians made wedge shaped symbols into clay tablets.  The ziggurat 

had stepped pyramid structures with a temple or shrine on the top of it.  The inside of it was made with 

clay mosaics which were images made by small colored pieces that were on a hard surface.  Votive 

figures dated about 2900-2600 BCE, and were images that were made for the gods.  The Assyrians 

made a palace complex.  This showed the use as art as propaganda to support the political power. 

The Assurbanipal palace is decorated with panels covered in low relief.    The walls of the temples 

during Neo Babylonia had dark blue bricks that had glass placed over the bricks and fired.  In Persia it 

was more of a decorative art, which had ornamented weapons, and domestic wares.