Gardners Art through the Ages A Global History

ALTAMIRAThe works examined here thus far, whether portable

or fixed to rocky outcroppings or cave walls, are all small. They are

dwarfed by the “herds” of painted animals that roam the cave walls

of southern France and northern Spain, where some of the most

spectacular prehistoric art has been discovered (see “Paleolithic Cave

Painting,” page 20). The first examples of cave paintings were found

accidentally by an amateur archaeologist in 1879 at Altamira, Spain.

Don Marcelino Sanz de Sautuola was exploring a cave where he had

already found specimens of flint and carved bone. His little daughter

Maria was with him when they reached a chamber some 85 feet from

the cave’s entrance. Because it was dark and the ceiling of the debris-

filled cavern was only a few inches above the father’s head, the child

was the first to discern, from her lower vantage point, the shadowy

forms of painted beasts on the cave roof (FIG. 1-9, a detail of a much

1-8Bison with turned head, fragmentary spearthrower, from

La Madeleine, France, ca. 12,000 BCE. Reindeer horn, 4long.

This fragment of a spearthrower was carved from reindeer antler.

Details were incised with a stone burin. The sculptor turned the bison’s

head a full 180 degrees to maintain the profile view.

1 in.

1-7Two bison, reliefs in a

cave at Le Tuc d’Audoubert,

France, ca. 15,000–10,000 BCE.

Clay, each 2long.

Representations of animals

are far more common than

of humans in Paleolithic

European art. The sculptor

built up these clay bison using

a stone spatula-like smoothing

tool and fingers to shape the

details.

1 ft.

1 ft.

1-9Bison, detail of a painted ceiling in the cave at Altamira, Spain,

ca. 12,000–11,000 BCE. Each bison 5long.

As in other Paleolithic caves, the painted ceiling at Altamira has

no ground line or indication of setting. The artist’s sole concern was

representing the animals, not locating them in a specific place.

Paleolithic Art 19