The reception of Palaeolithic art at the turn of the twentieth century: between archaeology and art history

In this paper I focus on the role of art history in early conceptualizations of Palaeolithic art (1860-1930). In the decades around 1900, the formal analysis of Palaeolithic representations was highly inspired by models, theories and concepts first developed by art historians. I consider two main levels of influence. First, the modern distinction between ‘fine arts’ and ‘crafts’ influenced early interpretations of ‘primitive art’, a category that included Palaeolithic representations. Second, art history provided archaeologists with the theoretical background that helped them to interpret prehistoric images. For instance, archaeologists borrowed their terms and concepts from art historians. Moreover, the ‘representational’ and ‘degenerationist’ theories prevalent in art theory during the nineteenth century became the dominant theories to explain the origin and evolution of figurative and abstract representations. I complete this examination on the relationships between art history and archaeology by analyzing the impact of Palaeolithic images in art historical narratives. In particular, I examine the ways in which prehistoric representations were incorporated into the accounts elaborated by art historians during the first half of the twentieth century.