Pre-Columbian art in the context of "Ancient art"

⭐ In the context of ancient art, pre-Columbian art is typically considered


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⭐ Core Definition: Pre-Columbian art

Pre-Columbian art refers to the visual arts of indigenous peoples of the Caribbean, North, Central, and South Americas from at least 13,000 BCE to the European conquests starting in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. The pre-Columbian era continued for a time after these in many places, or had a transitional phase afterwards. Many types of perishable artifacts that were once very common, such as woven textiles, typically have not been preserved, but Precolumbian monumental sculpture, metalwork in gold, pottery, and painting on ceramics, walls, and rocks have survived more frequently.

The first pre-Columbian art to be widely known in modern times was that of the empires flourishing at the time of European conquest, the Inca and Aztec, some of which was taken back to Europe intact. Gradually art of earlier civilizations that had already collapsed, especially Maya art and Olmec art, became widely known, mostly for their large stone sculpture.

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👉 Pre-Columbian art in the context of Ancient art

Ancient art refers to the many types of art produced by the advanced cultures of ancient societies with different forms of writing, such as those of China, India, Mesopotamia, Persia, Egypt, Greece, and Rome. The art of pre-literate societies is normally referred to as prehistoric art and is not covered by the scope of the ancient era. Furthermore, although some pre-Columbian cultures developed writing in the centuries preceding the European discovery of the Americas, these advancements are, on grounds of dating, largely covered with the dedicated topic of pre-Columbian art and associated sub-topics, such as Maya art, Aztec art, and Olmec art.

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Pre-Columbian art in the context of Olmec

The Olmecs (/ˈɒlmɛks, ˈoʊl-/) or Olmec were an early major Mesoamerican civilization, flourishing in the modern-day Mexican states of Veracruz and Tabasco from roughly 1200 to 400 BC during Mesoamerica's formative period. They were initially centered at the site of their development in San Lorenzo TenochtitlĂĄn, but moved to La Venta in the 10th century BC following the decline of San Lorenzo. By about 400 BC the major centres of the Olmec civilization had been abandoned, and the population of the eastern half of the Olmec heartland dropped precipitously. The settlement density in that area remained much lower than during the height of Olmec dominance, and only intermittent occupation is evident until much later. Although the Olmec cultural style waned, elements of their tradition lived on in successor societies.

Among other "firsts", the Olmec appeared to practice ritual bloodletting and played the Mesoamerican ballgame, hallmarks of nearly all subsequent Mesoamerican societies. The aspect of the Olmecs most familiar now is their artwork, particularly the colossal heads. The Olmec civilization was first defined through artifacts which collectors purchased on the pre-Columbian art market in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Olmec artworks are considered among ancient America's most striking.

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Pre-Columbian art in the context of André Emmerich

AndrĂ© Emmerich (October 11, 1924 – September 25, 2007) was a German-born American gallerist who specialized in the color field school and pre-Columbian art while also taking on artists such as David Hockney and John D. Graham.

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LINKED FROM (PARENTS)
← Olmec ← Olmecs ← Ancient art ← Olmec civilization ← Olmec art ← AndrĂ© Emmerich
LINKS TO (CHILDREN)
Aztec sun stone → National Museum of Anthropology (Mexico) → Mexico City → Visual arts of indigenous peoples of the Americas → Caribbean → North America → Central America → South America → Pre-Columbian era → Monumental sculpture → Inca → Aztec → Maya art → Olmec art →