Paleolithic art

The cave paintings of Lascaux, France

The Lascaux cave paintings were made approximately 20,000 years ago by people living in the Upper Paleolithic period when the Stone Age ended and the Hunter-Gatherers gained prominence. They did not live in the cave, but in huts and dugouts nearby.

Discovered by schoolboys in 1940, the paintings have since been damaged by crowds and bright lights, and are currently threatened by several forms of fungi. Preservation is ongoing. The cave is now closed to the public, and only a handful of scientists have access for monitoring purposes.

There are 600 paintings and 1500 engravings in the massive cave, including a large hall of bulls, in which one bull is 17 feet long. Artwork high on the walls and on the ceiling required scaffolding.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lascaux
http://www.themasterpiececards.com/famous-paintings-reviewed/?Tag=Lascaux%20paintings