The Birth of Art - The Old Stone Age (Upper Paleolithic)

The inception of the Upper Paleolithic Age (the lastmouth or by using hollow bones. Special effects,
subdivision of the Old Stone Age) was a turningsuch as shadowing and foreshortening were also
point in human history, when human competenceimparted with great skill and perfection.
started rising. The tools of the old age gave wayAn abundance of female imagery is found in the
to the new thinner, sharper, and more evenlyUpper Paleolithic Age painting, supporting the belief
shaped ones. This evolution in the Old Stone Ageof archeologists that the society of that era was
became conducive to the development of artfemale centered. These images also contain the
also, with all its ramifications into the figurative andpornographic representation and portraits of
the non-figurative styles.women. The other important theme for artistic
Art in the Upper Paleolithic Age was born in thecapturing was wild hunting, depicting a handful of
form of perforated teeth, which found extensivemen with wild beasts and similar themes.
use in the form of necklaces. Sculpted bones withIn addition, evidences suggest that the Paleolithic
engraved animal statuettes and ivory works wereAge witnessed the birth of music, which was
the other existent art forms. The other type ofcharacterized by human voices and natural
art that was fixed or stationary in nature wasobjects, such as the use of rocks as musical
'Cave Painting.' It is believed that these paintingsinstruments. The development in language might
served magical or ritualistic purposes. Thesehave boosted the evolution of music. One school
pictures often give a good idea about the lifestyleof thought holds the opinion that music found
of the Upper Paleolithic Age through the portrayalplace in human life in the Old Stone Age to
of hunting and fight scenes. The characters inproduce a rhythm in day-to-day activities.
these images were simple in structure, mostlyHowever, a different theory proposed by Charles
stick figures.Darwin, suggested that the use of music was
The colors used in paintings were made frommore of a mating strategy, as birds do to call
ochre, minerals, burnt bone meal, and charcoal,their mates. Later in the Paleolithic Age, hollow
mixed with water, tree sap, blood, & animalbones were being used as flutes and other
fat. The Upper Paleolithic Age artists used eithermusical instruments. Music must have played a
hairbrushes or twigs as tools. There was a greatgreater role in religious rituals and social gatherings
use of fingers as well in paintings. Apart from this,during the Old Stone Age or the Upper Paleolithic
the other methods used for artistry wereAge.
daubing, sketching, dotting, and spray painting by