The Murals at Lascaux (Dordogne) France
The most striking works of art in the Paleolithic era are the image of animals that were incised, painted or sculpted on the rock surfaces of caves (Janson, 1986). The cave paintings found at Lascaux in the Dordogne region of France are representative of man's observation of bison, deer, horses, and cattle. It is believed that these paintings were done by blowing pigment through a pipe (Larmann, 2009). These animals are variously depicted as mere outlines or as fully filled in figures. They are found in the dark recesses far away from the entrance to the caves.
Janson (1986) states that these murals were discovered by accident in 1940 when young boys searching for a dog that had fallen into the underground chamber came upon the paintings. It is believed that these murals had religious and ritualistic significance and were produced as part of a magic ritual which may have been meant to ensure a successful hunt (Janson, 1986). Leon Battista Alberti, a Renaissance aesthetician, believed that man first created images through association and that the surface of the wall may have inferred the shape the artist used to perfect an image. The works at Lascaux seem to confirm this theory (Larmann, 2009). However, these very lifelike paintings are still poorly understood. Janson (1986) contends that they may have been reflective of the killing of animals or were designed to make animals by increasing the size of herds.
Janson, H.W. (1986). History of Art. New York: Abrams.
Larmann, R. (2009). Introduction to fine art. Available at
http://faculty.evansville.edu/r129/art105/fo1/art105-1
.html. Accessed online, January 14, 2009.
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