Art That Tells a Story

Art that tells a Story

There are few examples of art from the Paleolithic period as compared with the art from the Ancient Greeks. Part of the reason is shown in the art itself, where art thrives in peaceful, plentiful times, the people of the Paleolithic period were more concerned with daily survival as opposed to making art for enjoyment. There art was art of necessity. Arguably the two most famous pieces of art from this time, "Hall of Bulls" and "Venus of Willendorf" are perfect example of the art that was done out of necessity.

The Venus of Willendorf is assumed to be a fertility statue. A statue of this nature is normally done in an attempt to worship a god for the blessing of a child. For those of this period child bearing and child birth were very much a necessity. Child birth and the raising of a child during this time would have been very difficult, dangerous even. This shape of the statue also gives way to an emphasis on the figure of an idealized woman. Large breast, round hips and middle section optimal for child bearing and caring for an infant, a woman that was larger would most likely be able to provide nutrition for herself and her young even in times of low food. The Venus of Willendorf gives way to the idea that new life and reproduction were important aspects for survival; of the people from the Paleolithic period was an important aspect.

Another important aspect of the Paleolithic period is the way they interacted with their environment. The "Hall of Bulls" cave paintings located in Lascaux, France depicts the artist interpretations of these interactions. "Some have suggested that by "capturing" these animals in art, Stone age hunters believed that they would be guaranteed success in capturing them in life" (Fishner-Rathus. Pg.275).This shows the peoples of the Paleolithic era were concerned about their future. This is an example of how they used their art to help them survive. Hunting and gathering was their way of life, they believed by drawing the animals they would be able to catch their prey; a necessity for their survival. The art captured in the "Halls of Bulls," in one way or another emphasized their dependency upon animals from their environment.

The peoples of the Paleolithic era were a simple people who were concerned with survival. The Venus of Willendorf illustrates that they were concerned for new life. The Halls of Bulls reflects how they were concerned with their next meal. They have shown us through their art they have survived the test of time.