Lascaux Cave painting, found in southwestern France.

Photo: http://cdn.physorg.com/newman/gfx/news/hires/2011/4-conservation.jpg

ART! ART! ART! As we transition from the Middle Upper Paleolithic into the Upper Paleolithic, known for it's mosaic of "modern" human behaviours, we see a huge increase in the appearance of art. This sudden surge includes cave art, such as the famous Lascaux Cave paintings, mobile art, such as the famous Venus figurines and also engraved or painted ornaments. ("The Deconstruction Zone", 2012)

Photo taken from:

artintheschool.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/090620_

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The cave paintings found during this period had a subject matter that was comprised almost exclusively of plants and animals.  The subject matter most often included mammals, birds, fish and other animals. Examples of cave art or depictions of animals on stone, from the Upper Paleolithic, can be found in a number of different places including but not limited to: Europe and the Levant, East Asia and Africa. The most famous of these caves is the Lascaux Cave in France which contains over 2,000 figurines. Hundreds of animals have been depicted and identified on these walls. This cave is a great example of the creativity and artistic abilities of people during the Upper Paleolithic time period ("The Deconstruction Zone", 2012)

Join Rick Steves (right), as he is given a tour and brief explanation of some of the scenes and paintings of the infamous Lascaux Cave in France.

Another form of art that is associated with the artistic period of the Upper Paleolithic is a mobile form of art referred to as the Venus figurines.

Venus figurines are understood to be the earliest known representations of the human female form. These mobile forms of art were abundant during the Upper Paleolithic period. These small portable pieces of art were made from a variety of materials including but not limited to: limestone, ivory, clay and bone. The figurines have been studied and a number of hypotheses have arisen in order to explain the purpose of these distinctly shaped pieces of art. There are five explanations for these works of art. (Dixson and Dixson, 2011)

Photo taken from: 

http://imgc.allpostersimages.com/images/P-473-488-90

/13/1351/U3IS000Z/posters/the-venus-of-willendorf-side-view-of-female-

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1. Used as a means of fertility magic.
2. May have religious meaning and depictions of a Mother Goddess Cult
3. May be real representations of women or ideal beauty
4. Representations of physical conditions of Steatopygia or Hypertrophy of breasts.
5. May be a form of pornography. 

(Dixson and Dixson, 2011)









Stay tuned for a look into the lifestyles of the Upper Paleolithic.







Citations:
1. Dixson, Alan, and Barnaby Dixson. "Venus Figurines of the European Paleolithic: Symbols of Fertility or Attractiveness?." Journal of Anthropology 2011 (2011): n.pag. Hindawi. Web. 6 Nov. 2012
2. "The Deconstruction Zone: A Brief Interpretive Overview of Upper Paleolithic Cave Art." The Deconstruction Zone.  N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Nov. 2012. <http://thedeconstructionzone.blogspot.com/2012/03/brief-interpretive-overview-of-upper.html>