Human beings have created art throughout history, and evidence of this is in caves around the world (known as parietal art). All around the world from Australia to Spain, examples of these ancient works of art that are around 40,000 years old, can be seen still to this day, and often depict the animals that these people shared the land with.
Today, we are just as inspired by the natural world and many modern artists still love to use the natural world as inspiration, such as this Wildlife Sculpture by www.gillparker.com
But if you want to see these first cave paintings in the flesh, here are some of the best places to go to…
Lascaux Cave – This stunning treasure was discovered completely by accident by four kids in the 1940s. As the second world war raged on around them, they had inadvertently stumbled on a spectacular historical find. The paintings are remarkably well preserved and you can clearly see deer, horses and cat like creatures adorning the walls of the cave.
Magura Cave – This cave in Bulgaria is a huge 1.5 miles long and home to many prehistoric paintings. It has electronic lighting and pathways installed, so if you want an easier walk to see these ancient sights, this is a good choice. The paintings are believed to date back to around 8000 BC.
Cueva De Las Manos – Located in Argentina, this translates as cave of the hands and you can see why, when you spot all the paintings across the caves walls. It offers an insight into the indigenous people of the land and the paintings are around 10,000 years old. Showing the rhea, a flightless bird native to the region and the llamas that were important for the people of this land.
The story of Lascaux
Some of the most famous cave paintings in the world are found at Lascaux, near the village of Montignac in France. They were discovered by accident in 1940, when four boys wandered into the caves during a game.
Inside are more than 1,500 images of animals, believed to be around 15,000 to 17,000 years old. Even today it is easy to appreciate the skill of the artists who made them, working underground with the simplest of materials.
Nobody can be certain why these early people painted so many animals, but archaeologists and anthropologists have put forward several ideas. One is that the painters were shamans trying to gain a kind of control over the animals, or to increase their numbers so they would be easier to hunt. Another is that the artists simply wanted to record their lives so future generations would remember them. Whatever the reason, Lascaux remains one of the best known examples of prehistoric art.