Fun facts: All about ancient and classical art

People have been making art for about 2 million years. Prehistoric art focuses on what was important to the people of the time, essentially food. As humans continued to develop, so did their art. But the one thing all art has in common is its ability to reflect the times and cultures of the people who made it.

The Stone Age can be divided into three eras. During the Paleolithic Period, or Old Stone Age (30000–10000 B.C.), humans were nomadic hunters and gatherers who struggled to survive in a harsh and cold world. These early people painted their hunts in ancient caves and used stone tools to carve magical figures.

The Mesolithic Period, or Middle Stone Age (10000–8000 B.C.), marked the end of the Ice Age. As the glacial era ended, life became easier. The art of the time consisted of abstract rock paintings, delicate stone carvings and pottery. The Neolithic Period, or New Stone Age (8000–3000 B.C.), took place at different times in different places. Many cultures began to establish permanent settlements, and their art began to reflect this stability.

Classical art of the Western world is characterised by its realism. The Greeks (800–323 B.C.) created art that was known for its glorification of the human figure. The Etruscans (Italian peninsula, sixth and fifth centuries B.C.) created huge, stylised, ornamental objects. The Romans (509 B.C.–A.D. 476) borrowed heavily from the Greek and Etruscan art styles to create their own classical art forms.
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