Jean Clottes

Ever since they were discovered over a hundred years ago, the paintings and rock engravings deep in the caves of Europe have captured the public imagination, provoking wonder and amazement at their great age, their technical mastery and their sheer b eauty. Some of the oldest art known to man turns out to be highly accomplished, and also to have been made in extremely difficult conditions in absurdly inaccessible locations. These facts have presented a puzzle and a challenge that have never cease d to exercise the imagination of both scholars and the wider public. This interest is kept alive by the beauty, vivacity and realism of these mammoths, bison, horses and other animals, which have the same power and freshness to modern eyes that they must have had for their creators. Jean Clottes' book is the first one to provide a simple, accessible, orderly and easy to use pictorial introduction to this remarkable art.A concise introduction tells the story of the discovery of the caves, and giv es a clear outline of current knowledge and research. It also discusses the modern debates about the meaning and purpose of the art, and sets these debates in the wider context of prehistory.

Kniha Pravěké umění je společným dílem světově proslulého francouzského prehistorika Jeana Clottese a českých vědců - historičky umění a kulturoložky Barbory Půtové a antropologa a kulturologa Václava Soukupa. Cílem této práce je synteticky z mezioborové perspektivy popsat a analyzovat genezi lidské tvořivosti v kontextu evoluce člověka a kultury. Zvláštní pozornost je věnována vzniku a vývojovým proměnám kultur mladého paleolitu (aurignacien, gravettien, solutréen, magdalénien) na území pravěké Evropy. Autoři knihy holisticky a komparativně analyzují jak materiální technologie a kamenné industrie mladého paleolitu, tak projevy umělecké kreativity na úrovni pravěkých plastik, skulptur, rytin, kreseb a jeskynních maleb. Jedná se o práci, která vznikla na základě dlouhodobé spolupráce autorů s předními evropskými prehistoriky, antropology a archeology.

The discovery of pre-historic decorated caves in western Europe transformed the way we think about the development of art. The earliest known evidence of human artistic endeavor, the awe-inspiring paintings, dramatic engravings and small, delicate sculptures of animals and humans found in these caves still hold a unique power and fascination, more than a century after they were first discovered. In this book, internationally renowned expert on prehistoric art Jean Clottes explores the origins of art and creativity. He takes the reader on a guided tour of 85 caves and rock shelters, many of which are not open to the public, revealing the extraordinary beauty of the works of art within them.Cave Art features more than 300 works from the Paleolithic period, made between 35,000 and 11,000 years ago, presented in geographical and chronological order.This comprehensive, accessible introduction to prehistoric art includes such spectacular works as the famous horses of Lascaux, the buffalo in the Altamira cave in Spain and the ivory carving of a woman's face found at Brassempouy in the south of France, as well as examples from less well-known sites. A wonderful range of animals is presented, from cave bears to reindeer, as well as mysterious abstract signs and schematic representations of human beings. Examples of portable art and sculpture are also included. While most of the caves described in the book are European, Cave Art also includes examples of open-air rock art made after the last ice age at sites around the world.With an unparalleled selection of images, Cave Art offers a unique guided tour of the earliest expressions of human creativity. Each work in Cave Art is illustrated by a color photograph, and accompanied by a clear, vivid explanatory text. A concise introduction tells the story of the discovery of the caves, and gives a clear outline of current knowledge, research and debate on the subject of prehistoric art. The book also includes a chronology, maps of the main caves and sites, a glossary and a list of sites that can be visited.

Předmětem publikace je zrození lidské kreativity v kontextu evoluce lidstva. Zvláštní pozornost je věnována vývoji, popisu a interpretaci pravěkého umění. V první části knihy je předložen model antropogeneze a evoluce člověka s důrazem na vznik a migraci anatomicky moderních lidí (Homo sapiens). V ohnisku teoretické analýzy se také ocitá každodenní život pravěkých lovců a sběračů, vývojové proměny paleolitické industrie i způsoby využívání jeskyní a převisů. V souvislosti s genezí lidské tvořivosti je dále analyzován a interpretován fenomén protoumění: neutilitární artefakty, které byly vytvořeny již v období starého a středního paleolitu. Kniha se rovněž pokouší objasnit smysl a význam pravěkých výtvarných artefaktů prostřednictvím teorií a hypotéz o původu lidské tvořivosti a umění. Druhá část publikace představuje konkrétní umělecké projevy v obdobích mladého paleolitu (aurignacien, gravettien, solutréen a magdalénien) včetně materiální technologie. Mobilní a parietální umění jsou systematicky a chronologicky kategorizována, popsána a interpretována v kontextu jejich objevu i aktuálních poznatků.

The discovery of pre-historic decorated caves in western Europe transformed the way we think about the development of art. The earliest known evidence of human artistic endeavor, the awe-inspiring paintings, dramatic engravings and small, delicate sculptures of animals and humans found in these caves still hold a unique power and fascination, more than a century after they were first discovered. In this book, internationally renowned expert on prehistoric art Jean Clottes explores the origins of art and creativity. He takes the reader on a guided tour of 85 caves and rock shelters, many of which are not open to the public, revealing the extraordinary beauty of the works of art within them.Cave Art features more than 300 works from the Paleolithic period, made between 35,000 and 11,000 years ago, presented in geographical and chronological order.This comprehensive, accessible introduction to prehistoric art includes such spectacular works as the famous horses of Lascaux, the buffalo in the Altamira cave in Spain and the ivory carving of a woman's face found at Brassempouy in the south of France, as well as examples from less well-known sites. A wonderful range of animals is presented, from cave bears to reindeer, as well as mysterious abstract signs and schematic representations of human beings. Examples of portable art and sculpture are also included. While most of the caves described in the book are European, Cave Art also includes examples of open-air rock art made after the last ice age at sites around the world.With an unparalleled selection of images, Cave Art offers a unique guided tour of the earliest expressions of human creativity. Each work in Cave Art is illustrated by a color photograph, and accompanied by a clear, vivid explanatory text. A concise introduction tells the story of the discovery of the caves, and gives a clear outline of current knowledge, research and debate on the subject of prehistoric art. The book also includes a chronology, maps of the main caves and sites, a glossary and a list of sites that can be visited.