Cave of Altamira, the Sistine Chapel of the cave painting, near Santander, Spain
Art

Prehistoric cave paintings

Prehistoric cave paintings. Cave of Altamira, the Sistine Chapel of the cave painting, near Santander, Spain
Altamira, the Sistine Chapel of the cave painting, near Santander, Spain. Prehistoric cave paintings

Prehistoric cave paintings.

After visiting the cave of Altamira in northern Spain, Pablo Picasso said, “After all the works of art in Altamira all art began to decline.” He was not joking. Art in the cave, and in many other caves, which are located in France, Spain and other countries, is one of the greatest masterpieces of ​​art ever created. Discovered in the late 19th century, surprisingly, the patterns found in the rocks were of such high quality that scientists have long questioned their authenticity, and even accused the discoverer Marcelino Sanz de Sautuola in forging paintings. Many do not believe in intellectual potential of primitive people. Unfortunately, the discoverer died before 1902. This mountain paintings were found genuine. Images made with charcoal and ocher. Scientists continue to evaluate the age of the cave art at Altamira. In 2008, researchers using uranium-thorium dating found that the paintings were completed over a period of up to 20,000 years rather than during a comparatively brief period. In 2012, further uranium-thorium dating research was published supporting an older age for portions of the art, including one claviform image at 35,600 years old.

Paleolithic cave paintings in Lascaux Caves, southwestern France
Prehistoric cave paintings. Paleolithic cave paintings in Lascaux Caves, southwestern France

Lascaux caves located in the south-west of France, decorated with spectacular and famous paintings. The age of some of the images is 17 000 years. The majority of cave paintings located far from the entrance. The most famous image of the cave – the images of bulls, horses and deer. The largest rock painting in the world – a bull in a cave of Lascaux, whose length is 5.2 meters.

The Magura Cave painting in north-western Bulgaria
Prehistoric cave paintings. The Magura Cave painting in north-western Bulgaria

Magura cave is one of the largest caves in Bulgaria. It is located in the northwestern part of the country. The cave walls are decorated with prehistoric rock art created from about 8000 to 4000 years ago. Were discovered more than 700 drawings. The drawings depict hunters, dancing people and many animals.

Hands at the Cuevas de las Manos upon Río Pinturas, near the town of Perito Moreno in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina. Photographer Mariano
Prehistoric cave paintings. Hands at the Cuevas de las Manos upon Río Pinturas, near the town of Perito Moreno in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina. Photographer Mariano

Cueva de las Manos is located in Southern Argentina. The name can be literally translated as “The Cave of Hands.” The cave is represented in the majority – the left hand, but there are also scenes of hunting and animal images. Painting is believed to have been created 13,000 and 9,500 years ago.

Bhimbetka rock shelters - paleolithic cave painting, located in Raisen District in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh
Prehistoric cave paintings. Bhimbetka rock shelters – paleolithic cave painting, located in Raisen District in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh

The Bhimbetka shelters exhibit the earliest traces of human life in India. Located in central India Bhimbetka contains more than 600 prehistoric cave paintings. The drawings depict people living at that time in the cave. The animals have also paid a lot of space. Were found images of bison, tigers, lions and crocodiles. It is believed that the oldest picture is 12,000 years.

Serra da Capivara cave paintings created 25,000 years ago
Prehistoric cave paintings. Serra da Capivara cave paintings created 25,000 years ago

Serra da Capivara National Park in the northeast of Brazil. This place – a house set of rock shelters that have paintings that represent the ritual scenes, hunting, trees, animals. Some scientists believe that the oldest cave paintings in the park were created 25,000 years ago.

Laas Gaal cave paintings in Somalia of Africa, estimated to date back to between 9,000–8,000 and 3,000 BCE
Prehistoric cave paintings. Laas Gaal cave paintings in Somalia of Africa, estimated to date back to between 9,000–8,000 and 3,000 BCE

Laas Gaal is a complex of caves in northwestern Somalia, which contain some of the earliest known arts on the African continent. The prehistoric cave paintings, it is estimated that between 11,000 and 5,000 years. They show cows, ceremonially dressed people, pet dogs and even giraffes.

Tadrart Acacus cave paintings date from 12,000 BC to 100 AD depict giraffes, elephants, ostriches and camels, men and horses.
Prehistoric cave paintings. Tadrart Acacus cave paintings date from 12,000 BC to 100 AD depict giraffes, elephants, ostriches and camels, men and horses.

Tadrart Acacus form a mountain range in the Sahara desert in western Libya. The area is famous for its cave paintings from 12,000 BC. Paintings reflect the changing conditions of the Sahara desert. 9000 years ago, the local neighborhood was full of greenery and lakes, forests and wild animals, as evidenced by the rock carvings depicting elephants, giraffes ostriches, camels, men and horses. Men are depicted in various daily life situations, for example while making music and dancing

30,000 year old cave hyena painting in the Chauvet Cave.
30,000 year old cave hyena painting in the Chauvet Cave.

Chauvet Cave in southern France contains some of the earliest known prehistoric cave paintings in the world. The images preserved in the cave may have an age of about 32,000 years. The cave was discovered in 1994 by Jean-Marie Chauvet and his team of cavers. Paintings found in the cave, are images of animals: mountain goats, mammoths, horses, lions, bears, rhinos, lions.

Aboriginal Rock Art At Nourlangie Rock Kakadu National Park, the oldest form of Aboriginal art that is preserved
Aboriginal Rock Art At Nourlangie Rock Kakadu National Park, the oldest form of Aboriginal art that is preserved

Located on the northern territory of Australia, Kakadu National Park contains one of the largest concentrations of art created by the natives. It is believed that the oldest works were painted 20 000 years ago.

Prehistoric cave paintings
Prehistoric cave paintings

European cave painting was executed on cave walls and roofs during the Palaeolithic (Old Stone Age) period. Almost all the known cave paintings are in south¬western France and northern Spain.The paintings are often deep in the cave systems, away from the areas used as dwellings, and may have magical or religious significance, one theory being that the animals painted there (humans rarely appear) were depicted in connection with hunting rites. The best-known cave paintings are at Altamira in Spain (discovered 1879) and at Lascaux in France (discovered 1940), dating from about 12,000 вс to 15,000 вс. They are extremely vivid, conveying the beauty and energy of animals with great force and economy, in a narrow range of earthy colors. The paints used were ochres and manganese oxides, charcoal and iron carbonate, as well as soot. The powdered colors were mixed with fat or other binding mediums and then applied to the walls.

Prehistoric cave paintings

Sources:
Norwich John Oxford Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Arts
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