首页
登录
职称英语
"Paleolithic Art" From the moment in 1879 that cave paintings were discovered
"Paleolithic Art" From the moment in 1879 that cave paintings were discovered
游客
2024-01-03
31
管理
问题
"Paleolithic Art"
From the moment in 1879 that cave paintings were discovered at Altamira, scholars have wondered why the hunter-artists of the Old Stone Age decided to cover the walls of dark caverns with animal images. Various answers have been given, including that they were mere decoration, but this theory cannot explain the narrow range of subjects or the inaccessibility of many of the paintings. In fact, the remoteness and difficulty of access of many of the cave paintings and the fact they appear to have been used for centuries are precisely what have led many scholars to suggest that the prehistoric hunters attributed magical properties to the images they painted. According to this argument, by confining animals to the surfaces of their cave walls, the artists believed they were bringing the beasts under their control. Some have even hypothesized that rituals or dances were performed in front of the images and that these rites served to improve the hunters’ luck. Still others have stated that the painted animals may have served as teaching tools to instruct new hunters about the character of the various species they would encounter or even to serve as targets for spears.
In contrast, some scholars have argued that the magical purpose of the paintings and reliefs was not to ft te the destruction of bison and other species. Instead, they believe prehistoric painters created animal images to assure the survival of the herds Paleolithic peoples depended on for their food supply and for their clothing. A A central problem for both the hunting-magic and food-creation theories is that the animals that seem to have been diet staples of Old Stone Age peoples are not those most frequently portrayed. B
Other scholars have sought to reconstruct an elaborate mythology based on the cave paintings, suggesting that Paleolithic humans believed they had animal ancestors. Still others have equated certain species with men and others with women and also found sexual symbolism in the abstract signs that sometimes accompany the images. C Almost all of these theories have been discredited over time, and art historians must admit that no one knows the intent of these paintings. D In fact, a single explanation for all Paleolithic murals, even paintings similar in subject, style, and composition (how the motifs are arranged on the surface), is unlikely to apply universally. The works remain an enigma—and always will—because before the invention of writing, no contemporaneous explanations could be recorded.
That the paintings did have meaning to the Paleolithic peoples who made and observed them cannot, however, be doubted. In fact, signs consisting of checks, dots, squares, or other arrangements of lines often accompany the pictures of animals.
Representations of human hands are also common. At Pech-Merle in France, painted hands accompany representations of spotted horses. These and the majority of painted hands at other sites are "negative," that is, the painter placed one hand against the wall and then brushed or blew or spat pigment around it. Occasionally, the painter dipped a hand in the pigment and then pressed it against the wall, leaving a "positive" imprint. These handprints, too, must have had a purpose. Some researchers have considered them "signatures" of cult or community members or, less likely, of individual artists. But like everything else in Paleolithic art, their meaning is unknown.
The mural (wall) paintings at Pech-Merle also allow some insight into the reason certain subjects may have been chosen for a specific location. One of the horses may have been inspired by the rock formation in the wall surface resembling a horse’s head and neck. Old Stone Age painters and sculptors frequently and skillfully used the caves’ naturally irregular surfaces to help give the illusion of real presence to their forms. Altamira bison, for example, were painted over bulging rock surfaces. In fact, prehistorians have observed that bison and cattle appear almost exclusively on convex surfaces, whereas nearly all horses and hands are painted on concave surfaces. What this signifies has yet to be determined. [br] According to paragraph 1, the cave art was difficult to find because the artists
选项
A、were probably trying to keep their work a secret from their tribe
B、could have begun their painting while they were confined in the caves
C、may have chosen a location deep in the caves to hold ceremonies
D、had to practice before they made images that more people could see
答案
C
解析
"... the remoteness and difficulty of access ... suggests]... magical properties ... rituals or dances." Choice A is not correct because they were probably used for rituals. Choices B and D are not mentioned or implied in the passage.
转载请注明原文地址:https://tihaiku.com/zcyy/3329572.html
相关试题推荐
Constitutingoneoftheearliestengineeringtechniques,______inPaleolithict
Inthelate1930’sandearly1940’s,JacobLawrencecreatedmanypaintings_____
TheparticularsymbolicsignificanceofthecavepaintingsinsouthwesternF
TheparticularsymbolicsignificanceofthecavepaintingsinsouthwesternF
TheparticularsymbolicsignificanceofthecavepaintingsinsouthwesternF
Thesubjectsofthepaintingsaremostlyanimals.Thepaintingsrestonbare
Thesubjectsofthepaintingsaremostlyanimals.Thepaintingsrestonbare
Thesubjectsofthepaintingsaremostlyanimals.Thepaintingsrestonbare
"PaleolithicArt"Fromthemomentin1879thatcavepaintingswerediscovered
"PaleolithicArt"Fromthemomentin1879thatcavepaintingswerediscovered
随机试题
InChina,whenapersonsitsatadinnerparty,hewillveryoftenrefusethe(
[audioFiles]audio_eusm_j66_001(20082)[/audioFiles]A、HethinksDavidisnotreli
个人经营性贷款一般面向从事合法生产经营的自然人,包括( )。A.法人企业 B
收购人拟以要约的方式对上市公司进行收购,并以现金支付收购价款,以下操作顺序符合有
A.双缩脲法B.溴甲酚绿法C.连续检测法D.醋酸纤维素薄膜电泳法或琼脂糖凝胶电泳
下列符合高渗性脱水特点的是A.口渴不明显 B.皮肤弹性极差 C.血钠大于15
关于常规清收的方式,不包括()。A.直接追偿 B.协商处置抵(质)押物
下列哪种选项属于一般能力的范畴?() A.记忆能力 B.创造能力 C.运动
由于市场热点的变化,对于证券投资基金而言,基金重仓股可能面临较大的( )。A.
关于分节制作沉井的要求,正确的有()。A.第一节制作高度必须高于刃脚部分
最新回复
(
0
)