Go to the Quiz • Art History 101 Quiz: Paleo-, Meso- or Neolithic Art?

Related Resources • Art History 101: Paleolithic Art • Art History 101: Mesolithic Art • Art History 101: Neolithic Art

Question 1

This era saw the first uses of pottery.

Correct Answer: B, Mesolithic.  The pottery wasn’t a visual treat, mind you, but it represented the cutting-edge technology of its day. Much better than trying to hold water or grain in animal skins, in any case. 

Question 2

The world’s earliest known landscape painting was created in this era.

Correct answer:  C, Neolithic. The finds of Çatal Hüyük, an ancient village in modern Turkey, show lovely wall paintings (including the world's earliest known landscape), dating from c. 6150 BC.

Question 3

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Great-great-great-infinity grandfather figured out architecture in this era.

Correct answer:  C, Neolithic.  In the cases of architecture and megalithic constructions, art was now created in fixed locations. This was significant. Where temples, sanctuaries and stone rings were built, gods and goddesses were provided with known destinations. Additionally, the emergence of tombs provided unmoving, "visit-able" resting places for the dearly departed - another first.

Question 4

Which era is not known for its Venus figurines?

Correct answer:  B, Mesolithic.  First invoked (during the Paleolithic) to produce lots of humans, and later (during the Neolithic) to ensure abundant harvests, Venus sort of went out of fashion - for a couple thousand years! - during the Mesolithic era.

Question 5

Rock paintings from this era have been found all over the world.

Correct answer:  B, Mesolithic.  Though these rock paintings have been found in locations ranging from the far north in Europe to southern Africa, as well as elsewhere around the globe, the largest concentration of them exists in eastern Spain's Levant. Similar in nature to the Paleolithic cave paintings, these moved out of doors to vertical cliffs or "walls" of natural rock, often semi-protected by outcroppings or overhangs.

Question 6

After viewing examples of painting from this era, Pablo Picasso was quoted as saying, "We have invented nothing."

Correct answer:  A, Paleolithic.  True story: Picasso was one the lucky ones who got to tour the “Lascaux” cave in southwestern France before it was closed to the public.  He was most impressed with the Paleolithic animals gracing the walls of its inner recesses. Picasso was also always ready with a quotable one-liner for the press.

Question 7

An artifact from this era went on to become part of a memorable scene in the movie "This is Spinal Tap".

Correct answer:  C, Neolithic.  All of the Great Megaliths We Know and Love - particularly Stonehenge - were constructed in the Neolithic era.  In the 1984 movie, a mis-scaled (inches, where feet were intended) model of Stonehenge was lowered to the stage to thundering power rock music. Far from impressive, the wee dolmen and lintel blocks came perilously close to being crushed by dancing dwarves.

Question 8

This era had but two artistic themes: food and sex.

Correct answer:  A, Paleolithic.  The Paleolithic era concerned itself with either food (hunting scenes, animal carvings) or fertility (Venus figurines). Its predominant theme was animals.  Since we, as a species, had domesticated nothing at that point, the animals in art represented tasty cuts of meat.

Question 9

Paintings of this era were almost always non-figurative.

Correct answer:  A, Paleolithic.  Many elements of cave paintings are symbolic rather than realistic. Dots and lines abound. The clear exception is in the depiction of animals, which are vividly realistic (humans, on the other hand, are either completely absent or stick figures).

Question 10

Art of this era was functional, but we started figuring out that it didn’t have to be visually boring.

Correct answer:  C, Neolithic.  Neolithic art was still, almost without exception, created toward some useful purpose.  There was none of that "Art for art's sake" business for those people, no siree. However, some genius, somewhere, realized that ornamentation was easily incorporated - and that it made everyday life a lot more pleasant.  (Stylish, yet uncomfortable, footwear undoubtedly soon followed.)