In “Behold the Stone Age,” Robert Hughes explores the broader definition of art in the light of the discovery of Cro-Magnon cave art near Avignon. The caves are filled with untouched Paleolithic wall paintings that evoke aesthetic exclamations as great because it’s virgin and intact. Hughes, however, says these discoveries raise “unsettled questions” about when, how, and why these early humans created art. Through Hughes’ use of historical evidence and expert testimonies, we explore the possible cultural value and purpose behind Cro-Magnon cave art. Most striking, however, is Hughes’ exploration of these old unsettled questions of when, how, and why, reveal how humans have always had a strong need to produce external permanent art (cave paintings)
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Humans developed a more “advanced brain, equipped with a large frontal lobe, “wired” for associative thinking.”(Hughes 1). This gave them the ability to create art. Humans initially decorated their bodies as a form of symbolic expression. However, humans began to expand to other surfaces, such as cave walls, to express themselves. This change was due to how they had the ability of lateral thinking. Hughes also refutes the rarity of this cave art. New York University anthropologist, Randall White, states there are more than 200 caves with paintings that have been found in southwestern Europe alone. The reason we see this art as rare and valuable is because of its hidden location. The art caves are under water and hard to access, only scuba divers are able to access it. Hughes argues that the rarity of this prehistoric art does not make it great. We are forced to reexamine our modern assumptions about art’s value. We cannot judge this prehistoric art by our modern standards of great art. Hughes calls the modern approach into question. Our modern art is aesthetic, public, accessible, and significant. Modern perceptions are making wrong statements. Modern artists make intricate and accessible art to be seen by the public. In contrast, Cro-Magnon art would have most likely meant to be seen by a few individuals. What’s valuable is that the earliest human beings were …show more content…
According to prehistorian Michel Lorblanchet, the main technique Cro-Magnon artist used was oral-spray painting. In fact, Lorblanchet “has re-created cave paintings with uncanny accuracy” and even suggests that this technique may have had spiritual dimension. Cro-Magnon art having a possible religious or initiation purpose is only speculation. We know that the pigments were toxic when using the spitting technique. However, we do not know who was involved in the production. We do not know if only a select group of people were able to view the art, or if it was open to the public. Our knowledge of the creation of this art can only imply the true significance. Historians have analyzed the painted animals and, “some animals have more than four legs, or grotesquely exaggerated horns” (Hughes 3). This alludes to some type of ritual trance. However, this is not a concrete answer to why the artists did this, or it was possibly done through social
Humans developed a more “advanced brain, equipped with a large frontal lobe, “wired” for associative thinking.”(Hughes 1). This gave them the ability to create art. Humans initially decorated their bodies as a form of symbolic expression. However, humans began to expand to other surfaces, such as cave walls, to express themselves. This change was due to how they had the ability of lateral thinking. Hughes also refutes the rarity of this cave art. New York University anthropologist, Randall White, states there are more than 200 caves with paintings that have been found in southwestern Europe alone. The reason we see this art as rare and valuable is because of its hidden location. The art caves are under water and hard to access, only scuba divers are able to access it. Hughes argues that the rarity of this prehistoric art does not make it great. We are forced to reexamine our modern assumptions about art’s value. We cannot judge this prehistoric art by our modern standards of great art. Hughes calls the modern approach into question. Our modern art is aesthetic, public, accessible, and significant. Modern perceptions are making wrong statements. Modern artists make intricate and accessible art to be seen by the public. In contrast, Cro-Magnon art would have most likely meant to be seen by a few individuals. What’s valuable is that the earliest human beings were …show more content…
According to prehistorian Michel Lorblanchet, the main technique Cro-Magnon artist used was oral-spray painting. In fact, Lorblanchet “has re-created cave paintings with uncanny accuracy” and even suggests that this technique may have had spiritual dimension. Cro-Magnon art having a possible religious or initiation purpose is only speculation. We know that the pigments were toxic when using the spitting technique. However, we do not know who was involved in the production. We do not know if only a select group of people were able to view the art, or if it was open to the public. Our knowledge of the creation of this art can only imply the true significance. Historians have analyzed the painted animals and, “some animals have more than four legs, or grotesquely exaggerated horns” (Hughes 3). This alludes to some type of ritual trance. However, this is not a concrete answer to why the artists did this, or it was possibly done through social