In The Beginning
Humans have been painting for at least 40,000 years.
Early people shared no contact. Yet they share a style.
Their work shows us our universal visual language.
The cave paintings in Lascaux, France are one of the most well known examples of early human artwork. These cave paintings are used in all the art history textbooks to show where human art started.
Image by Sissie Brimberg/National Geographic/Getty Images
From cave paintings to petroglyphs to modern brands, flat icons, simple graphic shapes, and profile views are the universal style.
Rock art at the Cerro Azul hill in Serrania La Lindosa in the Amazonian jungle by Guillermo Legaria/AFP via Getty Images
Paintings evolved over thousands of years with little variation in style. Instead, artists focused on layering stories.
Paintings in Rock Shelter 8, Bhimbetka, India by Bernard Gagnon
Pictures help us understand the mysterious and magical.
Photo of 6,000 year old paintings in Horseshoe Canyon, Canyonlands National Park, Utah by Lightphoto|Dreamstime