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Great Art 17

The Altamira Cave paintings, discovered in 1879, depict extraordinary Palaeolithic art, particularly a detailed bison, which was initially dismissed as a forgery. Henri Breuil, a key figure in the study of this era, dedicated his life to documenting and analyzing cave art across various regions. His work helped establish a more accurate chronology for the Palaeolithic age, validating the significance of these ancient artworks.

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10 views1 page

Great Art 17

The Altamira Cave paintings, discovered in 1879, depict extraordinary Palaeolithic art, particularly a detailed bison, which was initially dismissed as a forgery. Henri Breuil, a key figure in the study of this era, dedicated his life to documenting and analyzing cave art across various regions. His work helped establish a more accurate chronology for the Palaeolithic age, validating the significance of these ancient artworks.

Uploaded by

callaontheway
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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PREHISTORIC ART 015

TURNING POINT

Bison HENRI BREUIL


c.16,000–14,000 BCE Altamira Cave, nr. Santillana del Mar, Spain A pioneering figure in the study
of the Palaeolithic era, Henri Breuil
The extraordinary paintings at Altamira were discovered in 1879, (1877–1961) was ordained as a priest
and information about them was first published in 1880. However, but never took up his duties. Instead,
he devoted himself to recording and
more than 20 years passed before they were generally accepted
analysing the latest discoveries in cave
as genuine examples of Palaeolithic art. Initially, experts had art. He visited sites throughout Europe,
dismissed Altamira as an elaborate, modern forgery, arguing that Africa, and China, and his encyclopedic
the colours were too vivid and the techniques too sophisticated knowledge on the subject enabled
for such an early date. Their amazement is understandable. him to calculate a more accurate

CONTEXT
chronology for the Palaeolithic age.
This remarkable bison was outlined in black and then coloured
in. Shading was achieved by scraping away small areas of paint,
Henri Breuil, French archaeologist
and engraved lines were added at key points – the eyes, the and authority on prehistoric cave art
horns, and the hooves – to sharpen up the detail.

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