Cookie Consent by Cookie Consent by TermsFeed
 
Bradshaw Foundation Rock Art News
Bradshaw Foundation Rock Art News
Bradshaw Foundation Rock Art News
Bradshaw Foundation - Latest News
Ice Age incised figure from Courbet Cave
Wednesday 29 November 2017

In 1991 at the British Museum a naturally dished and utilized but broken limestone slab, discovered in Courbet Cave in the Aveyron Valley in France, that had always been stored on its flat side (A) was turned over for inspection, revealing previously unrecorded incised lines.

Ice Age incised figure from Courbet Cave. British Museum

The lines depict the the right profile of the torso, hips, thighs and (probably) breast of a woman.

Within the dished surface of the slab (B & C) there are signs of burning - it had been used as a lamp.

Ice Age incised figure from Courbet Cave. British Museum

The female silhouette is depicted with sylized simplicity and artistic confidence. As usual with such figures, there is no head. The incised straight line of the back flows confidently into the curved line of the buttocks and thigh.

 
Article continues below
 

Ice Age incised figure from Courbet Cave. British Museum. Picasso

Abstracting the female body to reflect beauty through simplicity of line is well known in modern art, such as Picasso's Desmoiselles d'Avignon (above); interesting to observe this artistic and aesthetic technique being employed during the late glacial period about 13,500 radiocarbon years ago. Other similar examples have been discovered in some eighteen sites in France, Germany and Poland, as well as on the walls of about fourteen caves from the same regions.

Ice Age Art - Arrival of the modern mind by Jill Cook:
http://www.bradshawfoundation.com/books/ice_age_art.php

See more Ice Age art:
http://www.bradshawfoundation.com/sculpture/index.php

 

Comment
Rock Art
Sahara Rock Art Expedition: Algeria 2024
by Bradshaw Foundation
Tuesday 28 November 2023
Neanderthal art claimed in the Loire Valley
by Bradshaw Foundation
Thursday 23 November 2023
Cave art discovered on Crete
by Bradshaw Foundation
Monday 20 November 2023
Petroglyphs of Checta receive Congressional protection
by Bradshaw Foundation
Tuesday 31 October 2023
Jean Clottes attends tribute
by Bradshaw Foundation
Thursday 26 October 2023
Pictograph vandalism in Ontario
by Bradshaw Foundation
Wednesday 20 September 2023
Sahara & Aïr Mountains Safari in Niger 2023
by Bradshaw Foundation
Monday 17 July 2023
Rock Art & Wilderness Safari in Namibia 2023
by Bradshaw Foundation
Sunday 09 July 2023
British Rock Art Group 2023
by Bradshaw Foundation
Tuesday 27 June 2023
Oldest Known Neanderthal Engravings
by Bradshaw Foundation
Monday 26 June 2023
Lascaux VR in the UK
by Bradshaw Foundation
Thursday 27 April 2023
Protecting Murujuga's rock art
by Bradshaw Foundation
Friday 17 March 2023
Mongolian deer stones
by Bradshaw Foundation
Tuesday 14 March 2023
Ancient carvings inspire forward looking sculpture
by Bradshaw Foundation
Thursday 02 March 2023
Identifying the artists of some of Australia's earliest art
by Bradshaw Foundation
Thursday 23 February 2023
BRAG 2023
by Bradshaw Foundation
Monday 13 February 2023
Follow the Bradshaw Foundation on social media for news & updates
Follow the Bradshaw Foundation
on social media for news & updates
Follow the Bradshaw Foundation on social media for news & updates
Follow the Bradshaw Foundation
on social media for news & updates
If you have enjoyed visiting this website
please consider adding a link © Bradshaw Foundation
 
 
ROCK ART NETWORK
Rock Art Network Bradshaw Foundation Getty Conservation Institute
Markwe Cave, Zimbabwe
by Rock Art Network
30 November 2023
ROCK ART
Sahara Rock Art Expedition: Algeria 2024
by Bradshaw Foundation
Tuesday 28 November 2023
Neanderthal art claimed in the Loire Valley
by Bradshaw Foundation
Thursday 23 November 2023
Cave art discovered on Crete
by Bradshaw Foundation
Monday 20 November 2023
Petroglyphs of Checta receive Congressional protection
by Bradshaw Foundation
Tuesday 31 October 2023
Jean Clottes attends tribute
by Bradshaw Foundation
Thursday 26 October 2023
Pictograph vandalism in Ontario
by Bradshaw Foundation
Wednesday 20 September 2023
Sahara & Aïr Mountains Safari in Niger 2023
by Bradshaw Foundation
Monday 17 July 2023
Rock Art & Wilderness Safari in Namibia 2023
by Bradshaw Foundation
Sunday 09 July 2023
British Rock Art Group 2023
by Bradshaw Foundation
Tuesday 27 June 2023
Oldest Known Neanderthal Engravings
by Bradshaw Foundation
Monday 26 June 2023
Lascaux VR in the UK
by Bradshaw Foundation
Thursday 27 April 2023
Protecting Murujuga's rock art
by Bradshaw Foundation
Friday 17 March 2023
Mongolian deer stones
by Bradshaw Foundation
Tuesday 14 March 2023
Ancient carvings inspire forward looking sculpture
by Bradshaw Foundation
Thursday 02 March 2023
Identifying the artists of some of Australia's earliest art
by Bradshaw Foundation
Thursday 23 February 2023
BRAG 2023
by Bradshaw Foundation
Monday 13 February 2023
Bradshaw Foundation Donate Friends
Support our work & become a
Friend of the Foundation
 
 
 
Bradshaw Foundation YouTube
Bradshaw Foundation iShop Shop Store
Bradshaw Foundation iShop Shop Store
Bradshaw Foundation iShop Shop Store