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Paleoart: Visions of the Prehistoric Past
A pictorial history of paleoart
It was 1830 when an English scientist named Henry De la Beche painted the first piece of paleoart, a dazzling, deliciously macabre vision of prehistoric reptiles battling underwater. Since then, artists the world over have conjured up visions of dinosaurs, woolly mammoths, cavemen, and other creatures, shaping our understanding of the primeval past through their exhilarating images.
In this unprecedented new book, writer Zoe Lescaze and artist Walton Ford present the astonishing history of paleoart from 1830 to 1990. These are not cave paintings produced thousands of years ago, but modern visions of the prehistory: stunning paintings, prints, drawings, sculptures, mosaics, and murals that mingle scientific fact with unbridled fantasy. The collection provides an in-depth look at this neglected niche of art history, and shows the artists charged with imagining these extinct creatures projected their own aesthetic whims onto prehistory, rendering the primordial past with dashes of Romanticism, Impressionism, Japonisme, Fauvism, and Art Nouveau, among other influences.
With incisive essays from Lescaze, a preface by Ford, five fold-outs, and dozens of details, the book showcases a stunning collection of artworks plucked from major natural history museums, obscure archives, and private collections, and includes new photography of key works, including Charles R. Knight's seminal dinosaur paintings in Chicago and little-known masterpieces such as A. M. Belashova's monumental mosaic in Moscow. From the fearsome to the fantastical, Paleoart: Visions of a Prehistoric Past 1830-1990 is a celebration of prehistoric animals in art, and a novel chance to understand our favorite extinct beasts through a new art historical lens.
It was 1830 when an English scientist named Henry De la Beche painted the first piece of paleoart, a dazzling, deliciously macabre vision of prehistoric reptiles battling underwater. Since then, artists the world over have conjured up visions of dinosaurs, woolly mammoths, cavemen, and other creatures, shaping our understanding of the primeval past through their exhilarating images.
In this unprecedented new book, writer Zoe Lescaze and artist Walton Ford present the astonishing history of paleoart from 1830 to 1990. These are not cave paintings produced thousands of years ago, but modern visions of the prehistory: stunning paintings, prints, drawings, sculptures, mosaics, and murals that mingle scientific fact with unbridled fantasy. The collection provides an in-depth look at this neglected niche of art history, and shows the artists charged with imagining these extinct creatures projected their own aesthetic whims onto prehistory, rendering the primordial past with dashes of Romanticism, Impressionism, Japonisme, Fauvism, and Art Nouveau, among other influences.
With incisive essays from Lescaze, a preface by Ford, five fold-outs, and dozens of details, the book showcases a stunning collection of artworks plucked from major natural history museums, obscure archives, and private collections, and includes new photography of key works, including Charles R. Knight's seminal dinosaur paintings in Chicago and little-known masterpieces such as A. M. Belashova's monumental mosaic in Moscow. From the fearsome to the fantastical, Paleoart: Visions of a Prehistoric Past 1830-1990 is a celebration of prehistoric animals in art, and a novel chance to understand our favorite extinct beasts through a new art historical lens.
286 pages, Hardcover
Published September 11, 2017
14 people are currently reading
471 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
July 12, 2018
Coincidental trivia I happened to learn by looking up lindworms at the same time as reading this:
The head of a 1590 lindworm statue in Klagenfurt is modeled on the skull of a woolly rhinoceros found in a nearby quarry in 1335. It has been cited as the earliest reconstruction of an extinct animal.
Paleomegafaunartistical!
The head of a 1590 lindworm statue in Klagenfurt is modeled on the skull of a woolly rhinoceros found in a nearby quarry in 1335. It has been cited as the earliest reconstruction of an extinct animal.
Paleomegafaunartistical!
June 22, 2019
Absolutely AWESOME. This is a need-to-read/own for any dino or prehistory lover.
Awesome foldouts throughout, vivid full-page prints, and brief but very informative essays. While this is by no means the full range of paleo art, it does cover the main artists throughout the century that paleoart was prominent (more modern artworks from the 80s through today are not covered) and gives a solid introduction to the wide range of styles. It's also possible to just read the captions and get a simplified version of the narrative told in the essays. While the essays do not provide page numbers (nor plate numbers, since the prints aren't numbered) as to which work they're discussing, it's usually not more than a few page flips away.
The aesthetic qualities of the book are lovely as well--nice thick paper, matte ink, and awesome pebbly, reptile-like scale texture on the binding. Plus it's a foot and a quarter tall and weighs a ton.
Awesome foldouts throughout, vivid full-page prints, and brief but very informative essays. While this is by no means the full range of paleo art, it does cover the main artists throughout the century that paleoart was prominent (more modern artworks from the 80s through today are not covered) and gives a solid introduction to the wide range of styles. It's also possible to just read the captions and get a simplified version of the narrative told in the essays. While the essays do not provide page numbers (nor plate numbers, since the prints aren't numbered) as to which work they're discussing, it's usually not more than a few page flips away.
The aesthetic qualities of the book are lovely as well--nice thick paper, matte ink, and awesome pebbly, reptile-like scale texture on the binding. Plus it's a foot and a quarter tall and weighs a ton.
April 16, 2018
Absolutely gorgeous in every way. The reproductions are exquisite and the text is interesting and informative.
January 23, 2018
The imagery is one hundred percent TOP NOTCH. It is so good I could barely look away. Also the cover has a scaly imprint which DELIGHTED me.
I had some minor issues with the written portions. For one, she almost never said what page a painting she was talking about was on (and they mostly weren't on the same page) so then when you ran into the painting later you were confused and had to flip back to see if the names matched up. Also, while the information was new and interesting - how it was a tradition to grind up ammonites in medieval britain for medicine, or the story of how they rebuilt the paleoart murals of the berlin aquarium, for example- I found myself drifting away in boredom anyways sometimes.
BUT. It is a coffee table book. The writing doesn't HAVE to be great. The IMAGES do. And they 100 percent are. She did a wonderful job curating the painting selection, spanning from 1830-1990. The painting selection get a little leaner after the 1950's, until the resurgance of interest in dinosaurs began.
This book is only about traditional media, and it works well to show how trends and art style evolved over time, I would LOVE to see a section or a whole other book about the resurgance of paleoart in the age of digital art and the internet. There's so much good paleoart out there and it deserves to be seen by everyone!
I had some minor issues with the written portions. For one, she almost never said what page a painting she was talking about was on (and they mostly weren't on the same page) so then when you ran into the painting later you were confused and had to flip back to see if the names matched up. Also, while the information was new and interesting - how it was a tradition to grind up ammonites in medieval britain for medicine, or the story of how they rebuilt the paleoart murals of the berlin aquarium, for example- I found myself drifting away in boredom anyways sometimes.
BUT. It is a coffee table book. The writing doesn't HAVE to be great. The IMAGES do. And they 100 percent are. She did a wonderful job curating the painting selection, spanning from 1830-1990. The painting selection get a little leaner after the 1950's, until the resurgance of interest in dinosaurs began.
This book is only about traditional media, and it works well to show how trends and art style evolved over time, I would LOVE to see a section or a whole other book about the resurgance of paleoart in the age of digital art and the internet. There's so much good paleoart out there and it deserves to be seen by everyone!
March 3, 2018
Another book more for looking at than reading, although the captions are interesting and informative. Reading those and some of the text made it clear that the book’s main point was to examine the different ways artists have chosen to depict dinosaurs, and how those choices were not just artistic but also influenced by earlier depictions, archeological remains, and the culture and times they lived in.
December 29, 2023
Awesome coffee table book. Gorgeous and absolutely huge illustrations.
January 31, 2018
Paleoart, one of my favourite kinds of art.
I saw this beast of a book at Library #3, and so he had to come with me, just in case someone would take it (I first bring back my old books, look around on the ground floor's new releases, and then go out again to do some walking/shopping). RIP my shoulders. :P
See how people drew prehistoric scenes, sometimes with evidence, but more often with just imagination, a few bones, and some witness reports. Yep. And still these guys and girls (not many of those, but there are girls who do/did this) did an amazing job. I just love seeing their view on dinosaurs. It is a shame that many of these paleoartworks (if that is the correct word) are being thrown away/dismissed due to them being often inaccurate. Which I think is just silly. So what if the art isn't 100% accurate, these people still stuffed endless hours and days and weeks into drawing what they felt was a dinosaur or a prehistoric human. You aren't throwing other art out because it is inaccurate? So why this one?
Plus I think their art, especially the later paleoart (1950-1980), is much better than the art of dinos in this year and age. Especially those in the beginning years, they barely had anything to back them up they tried their best to make something awesome. And sure, at times it looked really weird and silly, like someone was trying to fuse a couple of animals together and make something decent from that. :P But then again, these days dinosaurs have FEATHERS. My dear terrifying dinosaurs are suddenly chickens and turkeys and make me laugh instead of make me go ooohhhh and ahhhh and argghhhhh.
Of course paleoart isn't only dinos, it is also cavemen/prehistoric men. The scenes shown in this book were pretty awesome, at times sad, at times powerful, quite a few times a bit bloody (but that is good, as I am sure it wasn't all sunshine and flowers back then).
This was a really gorgeous book, I loved it, but just a shame of the giant walls of text. Really. Sometimes you would have a whole page with just tiny text. And sure, the text was often interesting-well ish- but it was a struggle to read them. I would rather have a whole book with gorgeous (or weird or even wtf) paleoart. There was enough text under each image telling us a whole story without the need of all that other text (at least that is my impression after reading both the endless texts and the texts under the images).
But all in all, this is one heck of a book, it is a shame it is superexpensive or I would have bought it to add to my bookcollection. I would recommend it if you have an interest in paleoart/dinosaurs/cavemen.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
I saw this beast of a book at Library #3, and so he had to come with me, just in case someone would take it (I first bring back my old books, look around on the ground floor's new releases, and then go out again to do some walking/shopping). RIP my shoulders. :P
See how people drew prehistoric scenes, sometimes with evidence, but more often with just imagination, a few bones, and some witness reports. Yep. And still these guys and girls (not many of those, but there are girls who do/did this) did an amazing job. I just love seeing their view on dinosaurs. It is a shame that many of these paleoartworks (if that is the correct word) are being thrown away/dismissed due to them being often inaccurate. Which I think is just silly. So what if the art isn't 100% accurate, these people still stuffed endless hours and days and weeks into drawing what they felt was a dinosaur or a prehistoric human. You aren't throwing other art out because it is inaccurate? So why this one?
Plus I think their art, especially the later paleoart (1950-1980), is much better than the art of dinos in this year and age. Especially those in the beginning years, they barely had anything to back them up they tried their best to make something awesome. And sure, at times it looked really weird and silly, like someone was trying to fuse a couple of animals together and make something decent from that. :P But then again, these days dinosaurs have FEATHERS. My dear terrifying dinosaurs are suddenly chickens and turkeys and make me laugh instead of make me go ooohhhh and ahhhh and argghhhhh.
Of course paleoart isn't only dinos, it is also cavemen/prehistoric men. The scenes shown in this book were pretty awesome, at times sad, at times powerful, quite a few times a bit bloody (but that is good, as I am sure it wasn't all sunshine and flowers back then).
This was a really gorgeous book, I loved it, but just a shame of the giant walls of text. Really. Sometimes you would have a whole page with just tiny text. And sure, the text was often interesting-well ish- but it was a struggle to read them. I would rather have a whole book with gorgeous (or weird or even wtf) paleoart. There was enough text under each image telling us a whole story without the need of all that other text (at least that is my impression after reading both the endless texts and the texts under the images).
But all in all, this is one heck of a book, it is a shame it is superexpensive or I would have bought it to add to my bookcollection. I would recommend it if you have an interest in paleoart/dinosaurs/cavemen.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
Want to read
December 14, 2017Illustrated review here:
https://www.apollo-magazine.com/dinos...
More: https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/ar... Whoa!
"What child is not obsessed with dinosaurs, at least for a while? For me the years of dragging my long-suffering parents around the dinosaur galleries at London’s Natural History Museum came just before my (also common) obsessions with the ancient Egyptians and then astronomy. Yet, while a broad fascination with all three of these areas remains, it is dinosaurs that still bring out in me a childlike sense of awe. ..."
Well, "me too." Sounds really cool,just the book for dino-nerds like me. Wish list.....
https://www.apollo-magazine.com/dinos...
More: https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/ar... Whoa!
"What child is not obsessed with dinosaurs, at least for a while? For me the years of dragging my long-suffering parents around the dinosaur galleries at London’s Natural History Museum came just before my (also common) obsessions with the ancient Egyptians and then astronomy. Yet, while a broad fascination with all three of these areas remains, it is dinosaurs that still bring out in me a childlike sense of awe. ..."
Well, "me too." Sounds really cool,just the book for dino-nerds like me. Wish list.....
January 2, 2025
Just by its size and scope alone, this would threaten to be the definitive paleoart book. Lescaze's research fulfills that promise.
You'll see the names and artwork you expect (Charles Knight, Rudolph Zallinger, Zdenek Burlan) and SO MANY MASTERPIECES you never knew existed.
Your jaw will unhinge when you see the murals in the Orlov Paleontological Museum.
One warning: This book focuses almost entirely on 2D art. The worlds of sculpture and film go unexplored.
I borrowed this from the library. To my bank account's chagrin, I will be buying a copy because this is a book that you will want to revisit and loan to your coolest (and most trustworthy) friends.Just by its size and scope alone, this would threaten to be the definitive paleoart book. Lescaze's research fulfills that promise.
You'll see the names and artwork you expect (Charles Knight, Rudolph Zallinger, Zdenek Burlan) and SO MANY MASTERPIECES you never knew existed.
Your jaw will unhinge when you see the murals in the Orlov Paleontological Museum.
One warning: This book focuses almost entirely on 2D art. The worlds of sculpture and film go unexplored.
I borrowed this from the library. To my bank account's chagrin, I will be buying a copy because this is a book that you will want to revisit and loan to your coolest (and most trustworthy) friends.
You'll see the names and artwork you expect (Charles Knight, Rudolph Zallinger, Zdenek Burlan) and SO MANY MASTERPIECES you never knew existed.
Your jaw will unhinge when you see the murals in the Orlov Paleontological Museum.
One warning: This book focuses almost entirely on 2D art. The worlds of sculpture and film go unexplored.
I borrowed this from the library. To my bank account's chagrin, I will be buying a copy because this is a book that you will want to revisit and loan to your coolest (and most trustworthy) friends.Just by its size and scope alone, this would threaten to be the definitive paleoart book. Lescaze's research fulfills that promise.
You'll see the names and artwork you expect (Charles Knight, Rudolph Zallinger, Zdenek Burlan) and SO MANY MASTERPIECES you never knew existed.
Your jaw will unhinge when you see the murals in the Orlov Paleontological Museum.
One warning: This book focuses almost entirely on 2D art. The worlds of sculpture and film go unexplored.
I borrowed this from the library. To my bank account's chagrin, I will be buying a copy because this is a book that you will want to revisit and loan to your coolest (and most trustworthy) friends.
May 26, 2020
A fantastic history of early artistic renderings of the prehistoric past.
I adored this book. It is everything I could have dreamed of having in a book when I was a child. However there are a couple of housekeeping points. This is NOT a book about dinosaurs. You will find almost no information about the various prehistoric species on display. This is an art book. It goes into details on the historical contexts, the techniques, and the influences of the artwork.
The variety of art is staggering and the reproductions are fantastic. The printing and colour reproduction in the book is exactly what you'd expect of a high end art book, and the oversized format is used to great effect with huge reproductions of paintings filling every page. There are even a number of foldout sections for some of the larger pieces.
The writing itself is engaging as well, and Lescaze does a wonderful job of conveying the weird and mixed up history of this niche genre. I normally only skim text in art books, preferring to look at the art over the cold text, but this book had me gripped and I read it from cover to cover.
If you loved staring at paintings of dinosaurs as a kid, and wondered at some of the weirdness you saw, this is the book for you.
I adored this book. It is everything I could have dreamed of having in a book when I was a child. However there are a couple of housekeeping points. This is NOT a book about dinosaurs. You will find almost no information about the various prehistoric species on display. This is an art book. It goes into details on the historical contexts, the techniques, and the influences of the artwork.
The variety of art is staggering and the reproductions are fantastic. The printing and colour reproduction in the book is exactly what you'd expect of a high end art book, and the oversized format is used to great effect with huge reproductions of paintings filling every page. There are even a number of foldout sections for some of the larger pieces.
The writing itself is engaging as well, and Lescaze does a wonderful job of conveying the weird and mixed up history of this niche genre. I normally only skim text in art books, preferring to look at the art over the cold text, but this book had me gripped and I read it from cover to cover.
If you loved staring at paintings of dinosaurs as a kid, and wondered at some of the weirdness you saw, this is the book for you.
December 30, 2018
A terrific book for any cultural paleontologist! A history of the artistic portrayal of dinosaurs since the discovery of the first fossils in the early 19th Century, with many gorgeous reproductions of the works. Taschen books are always beautiful and often heavy and this one is no exception. Some of the images here are familiar, but others -- especially in the chapter on early Russian paleoart -- are alien and stunning. The book is saurian in its dimensions too -- 11.5 x 15 inches -- so the reproductions of murals are shown to good effect. The text is informative and amusing and the whole effect like being taken through a gallery of artistic wonders by a charming guide.
May 2, 2019
A great selection of prehistoric art that covers all the way from the dinosaurs to ancient people and in a variety of styles and by a wide range of people. It is a good cross section of how it has changed over a 150-year time span, both in style and depiction of the subjects. If you are curious about how this style of art has changed, it is a great book. Very well presented, very beautiful book.
September 25, 2019
An amazing depiction of various paleoart pieces from a variety of artists. Truly a wonderful book, just amazing best book I've ever read, truly inspiring and creative on so many different levels, my fello humans are the knights of the paleoart table and how we are able to change our current system of Paleoart is amazing.
May 11, 2024
Not only a fascinating history of paleoart, but the most beautiful book I've ever seen. The cover alone ("lizardskin" with a blind-stamped dinosaur footprint) is only the beginning of one of Taschen's best books ever: foldouts, beautifully produced color throughout, abundant and carefully curated illustrations. Glorious.
September 17, 2025
As stated in this fine Taschen volume, this is not a natural history book, it is not a paleontology book, it is not an illustration/painting book; it is an impressive collection of the human fascination with prehistoric beasts that lies at the intersection of science and art. True dinosaur geeks (like me) will delight in seeing what was imagined in the past, compared to what is known now.
July 28, 2020
A lavish pictorial celebration of paleoart, looking back in time at what looking back in time looked like. See my full review at https://inquisitivebiologist.com/2017...
May 10, 2022
Absolutely gorgeous journey through an undeservedly overlooked art form. I could niggle that the text should refer to the pictures with page numbers, but it's just such an impressive tome that it barely matters.
March 25, 2019
I'll admit that I only read the captions, rather than the main text, as I slowly worked my way through this over the past year. But the images are SOOOOOO GOOOOOOOD.
February 15, 2021
Самая большая и красивая книга, которую я читал.
Текст несколько меркнет по сравнению с иллюстрациями, но ради такой красоты можно многое простить.
Текст несколько меркнет по сравнению с иллюстрациями, но ради такой красоты можно многое простить.
Want to read
May 11, 2019Added to my To-Read list thanks to a recommendation from a friend & http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-n...
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews