Whether you want to impress your next date, or you’re just an art lover, here’s an easy way to understand the basics of art throughout the decades.
We’ve all had that art class somewhere along our schooling where we were introduced to some very basic art history concepts, but really, who remembers even half of that? Except now you want to impress a hot date at a museum, or your little cousin asks for help with their homework, and you’re suddenly trying to remember art history 101.
Art has been present throughout all the history of humanity. In fact, it’s such an ancient practice that it’s been around for more than 70,000 years! In 2018, archeologists found a stone flake with nine red lines that was declared the earliest known drawing made by human hands. The stone was discovered in a cave located 200 miles east of Cape Town, South Africa.
The flake was found in a known archaeological site where the same researchers have found Homo sapiens teeth, tools made of stone and bone, as well as beads made from seashells. Because only Homo sapiens’ remains have been found in the site, researchers are pretty sure they were the ones to draw the lines.
Although we don’t really know how a couple of lines evolved to become the paintings we recognize as such, here’s a handy infographic to guide you through the different trends. Now you can impress everyone at the museum with your knowledge!
