Cambridge Illustrated History of Prehistoric Art

Author: Paul G. Bahn
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2004-02-01
Features: The first authoritative examination of prehistoric art worldwide. Over 250 stunning illustrations, many of which are rare or never published before. As an art book, it combines scientific objectivity with academic rigor, offering unforgettable reading stimulation and artistic enjoyment. Paul G. Bahn skillfully combines profound insights, witty humor, and incisive analysis with exquisite illustrations, discussing the nature, breathtaking quality, and processes and reasons behind the creation of prehistoric art. At the same time, he reveals the lives and concerns of our ancient ancestors—sex, food, morality, religion, society, and survival—which are clearly not very different from ours today. By telling the story of prehistoric art, the book highlights the distinctions between humans and animals. Bahn has traveled extensively, photographing artworks from remote regions around the world. This book compiles extremely ancient and rare illustrations collected by explorers and researchers since the mid-17th century, making it a visually striking and unprecedented reflection of our distant history.