Visual Art Assessment – Section 1

How are the signs and conventions of artworks affected by their time and place?

The signs and conventions of the artworks Hall of the Bulls by the unknown Palaeolithic artist and Judgement before Osiris by an unknown Egyptian artist are affected by their time and place. The sign and conventions are affected through the world at the times, language spoken by each colony and the colonies beliefs. You can see in the Hall of the Bulls that the painting is simplified and rough, just like the world at the time. You can also see in Judgement before Osiris that the painting is more detailed and more developed, just like there world at the time. This is how the signs and conventions of these artworks are affected by their time and place.

The Palaeolithic world at the time of 16,500 – 13,000 BCE was harsh and a struggle. The Palaeolithic people were nomads and moved from place to place, so they needed a consistent supply of food to keep them healthy and able to move on. In the Hall of the Bulls made between 16,500 – 13,000 BCE, the animals that are painted (birds, bison, deer and horses) are all animals that the Palaeolithic people relied on in order to survive. Without these animals the people wouldn’t be able to survive. So in some way maybe this painting is a ‘thank you’ to the animals for keeping them alive and well. This is how signs and conventions of Hall of the Bulls are affected by the world at the time it was painted.

Hall of the Bulls has many signs and visual communications. The painting Hall of the Bulls shows many signs that form a visual communication through not very strict conventions. In the painting you can see dots, shapes and other patterns that probably mean something in Palaeolithic times but nothing to us. These symbols and signs where probably a type of communication or language between tribes or within the tribe, just like the ancient Egyptians and their hieroglyphs. Therefore this is how sign and conventions of Hall of the Bulls are affected by the strict conventions used to convey visual communication.

Hall of the Bulls is made using different techniques and materials. Hall of the Bulls is made using different crushed up ochre’s, hematite, manganese oxide and charcoal on a cave wall. Also 1000s of engraving of these animals are found throughout the cave. The Palaeolithic people would have used rocks and sticks to engrave and paint the wall of the cave. As you can see in Hall of the Bulls the materials are used roughly and no precise measurements. There is no order, as some animals overlap each other. This is how signs and conventions of Hall of the Bulls are affected by material practise and style.

The Egyptian world round 1285 BC was very civilized. There was no need to spend their lives trying to find food as the Egyptians where the first real settled colony. People planted and harvest crops and farm animals to make a consistent supply of food. As you can see in the Judgement before Osiris the painting appears to be more organised and civilized, this refers back to the world at the time of the painting was made. This is how signs and conventions of Judgement before Osiris are affected by the world at the time in which the painting was made.

Judgement before Osiris uses many signs and conventions. Egyptians followed very strict rules and conventions to form their painting correctly. For example as you can see in the painting the arms, legs and feet are all shown form side on. This was a convention that the ancient Egyptians used and did for 3000 years. Signs and symbols are also used throughout the painting. You can see tiny symbols called hieroglyphs in the painting. This was the writing form for the ancient Egyptians and where used to explain the story being told in the painting. This is how signs and conventions of Judgement before Osiris are affected by the strong rules and hieroglyphs used in the painting.

Many techniques and