Animation History Week

An overview of the history of animation...

But when was the first animation?

Animation B.C.
From the eight-legged boar discovered in the Altamira Caves in Spain, and the four horses painting found in the Chauvet Cave in France, the idea of motion in art has been around at least throughout the Upper Paleolithic Era of the Stone Age (since roughly 30,000 B.C.). By the time that Egypt became the big boys on the block, images depicting motion became much more elaborate and detailed as seen in the above-right image of two Egyptian wrestlers locked in battle.

But what about a goat, some trees, and simple 5,200 year old piece of pottery found in Iran? Let's Check it out...

Animation from Rome to the Renaissance

This photo of Trajan's Column is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Trajan's Column, built in 113 A.D., commemorates Emperor Trajan's victory in the Dacian Wars. The carved sequential images that "wrap" around the column are in a sense an old-school "filmstrip" of the epic battles. Could this be the first filmstrip ever?!

Several centuries later, the great Leonardo da Vinci entered the animation game with some of his elaborate sketches such as the on shown below.

Modern-Day Animation

Check out this interesting video history.