The very first artist in the world is unknown since the history of art spans the entire history of the human race, dating back to the prehistorical era. The earliest cave paintings trace back to the Stone Age from 30000 B.C. to 2500 B.C..
The oldest surviving written work on art are a few passages in "Natural History" by Pliny the Elder, which dates back to 77-79 A.D. The passages are about Greek painting and sculpting. From those writings, the experts were able to trace the ideas of a Greek sculptor, Xenokrates of Sicyon, who is believed to be the first art historian.
