Page 72 - A Historical Lie: The Stone Age
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A HISTORICAL LIE: THE STONE AGE
The first photographs captivated specialists and the public alike. For decades
scholars had theorized that art had advanced in slow stages from primitive
scratchings to lively, naturalistic renderings. . . Approximately twice as old as
those in the more famous caves, Chauvet's images represented not the culmi-
nation of prehistoric art but its earliest known beginnings. 14
In the light of the highly de-
veloped artistic sensibilities
evident in cave paintings,
National Geographic maga-
zine described the artists
who made them as "People
Like Us."
Left: A picture of a leopard in the Chauvet Cave, made using red ochre.
Right: The Horse Panel, close-up.
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