Iberian schematic art
Encyclopedia
Iberian schematic art is the name given to a series of prehistoric representations (almost always cave paintings) that appear in the Iberian peninsula
, which are associated with the first metallurgical cultures (the Copper Age
, the Bronze Age
and even the start of the Iron Age
). Its chronology
is still a matter for debate, but it could span from the fourth
up to the first millennium BC
, overlapping, at its start, with Levantine Art and surviving marginally in some isolated regions during much later stages.
Its main characteristic, and that which gives it its name, is the schematic
, that is, a figurative style in which only the basic fragments of each figure are represented (eliminating all the rest); what's more, the representation is so basic that the graphic elements are converted into mere outlines, but without losing the minimal identifying features. In fact, the schematic phenomenon is considered somewhat more precise and problematic, and it is integrated in a wide movement which affects almost all of Europe and the Mediterranean.
It could be said that the schematic phenomenon has global dimensions, although each region, including the Hispanic, has its own, differentiating aspects.
(a figurative representation more or less faithful to nature, with concrete details which allow the easy identification of the figures), stylization (also figurative, but which accentuates certain details considered arbitrarily important, repeating and distorting them until they lose their real shapes), and abstraction
(representations completely unconnected with reality which are associated with a philosophical symbolism and which, although they may unconsciously contain some real elements, such a link is not possible to prove).
Even if one only takes the peninsular ambit into account, schematic art lacks uniformity, it spans quite a wide chronology and its geography is too wide, which makes its study difficult and makes it almost impossible to establish cultural phases or regions.
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
, which are associated with the first metallurgical cultures (the Copper Age
Copper Age
The Chalcolithic |stone]]") period or Copper Age, also known as the Eneolithic/Æneolithic , is a phase of the Bronze Age in which the addition of tin to copper to form bronze during smelting remained yet unknown by the metallurgists of the times...
, the Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
and even the start of the Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
). Its chronology
Chronology
Chronology is the science of arranging events in their order of occurrence in time, such as the use of a timeline or sequence of events. It is also "the determination of the actual temporal sequence of past events".Chronology is part of periodization...
is still a matter for debate, but it could span from the fourth
4th millennium BC
The 4th millennium BC saw major changes in human culture. It marked the beginning of the Bronze Age and of writing.The city states of Sumer and the kingdom of Egypt were established and grew to prominence. Agriculture spread widely across Eurasia...
up to the first millennium BC
1st millennium BC
The 1st millennium BC encompasses the Iron Age and sees the rise of many successive empires, and spanned from 1000 BC to 1 BC.The Neo-Assyrian Empire, followed by the Achaemenids. In Greece, Classical Antiquity begins with the colonization of Magna Graecia and peaks with the rise of Hellenism. The...
, overlapping, at its start, with Levantine Art and surviving marginally in some isolated regions during much later stages.
Its main characteristic, and that which gives it its name, is the schematic
Schematic
A schematic diagram represents the elements of a system using abstract, graphic symbols rather than realistic pictures. A schematic usually omits all details that are not relevant to the information the schematic is intended to convey, and may add unrealistic elements that aid comprehension...
, that is, a figurative style in which only the basic fragments of each figure are represented (eliminating all the rest); what's more, the representation is so basic that the graphic elements are converted into mere outlines, but without losing the minimal identifying features. In fact, the schematic phenomenon is considered somewhat more precise and problematic, and it is integrated in a wide movement which affects almost all of Europe and the Mediterranean.
It could be said that the schematic phenomenon has global dimensions, although each region, including the Hispanic, has its own, differentiating aspects.
The schematic phenomenon in the Iberian peninsula
Schematics in art is a concept linked to realismRealism (arts)
Realism in the visual arts and literature refers to the general attempt to depict subjects "in accordance with secular, empirical rules", as they are considered to exist in third person objective reality, without embellishment or interpretation...
(a figurative representation more or less faithful to nature, with concrete details which allow the easy identification of the figures), stylization (also figurative, but which accentuates certain details considered arbitrarily important, repeating and distorting them until they lose their real shapes), and abstraction
Abstract art
Abstract art uses a visual language of form, color and line to create a composition which may exist with a degree of independence from visual references in the world. Western art had been, from the Renaissance up to the middle of the 19th century, underpinned by the logic of perspective and an...
(representations completely unconnected with reality which are associated with a philosophical symbolism and which, although they may unconsciously contain some real elements, such a link is not possible to prove).
Even if one only takes the peninsular ambit into account, schematic art lacks uniformity, it spans quite a wide chronology and its geography is too wide, which makes its study difficult and makes it almost impossible to establish cultural phases or regions.
See also
- Rock Art of the Mediterranean Basin on the Iberian Peninsula