8 thoughts on “Paleolithic Art”

1. When Picasso saw the cave paintings, he said, “We have learned nothing.” That is a testament to the incredible beauty of this art.

2. I think about the arrogance of calling these people primitive. Then I go off the rails and think about the first colonists on mars being called primitive martians.

3. The art is quite good, but note that the society of artistic people kept living in caves and banging rocks together for about 30,000 more years until STEM majors took over.

   Things came full circle when those STEM majors figured out that the cave artists had faithfully rendered two different kinds of bison, which is a fascinating story. (Live Science link)

   Turns out the extinct steppe bison (ancestor to North American bison) was humping auroch cows (recently extinct ancestors of modern cattle) to make a new hybrid species that became the modern European bison, and cave artists were there to record the transition.

4. I was hoping to see some diet tips. What a lousy set of cave paintings.

   1. The paintings are full of diet tips. They were illustrating their food.

      1. I did see a cave painting once of a vegan, garbanzo bean salad.

5. They demonstrate that France has _always_ been in the avant grade!

   😉

6. dammit, you auto- speller, it’s ‘g a r d e’!

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