Chauvet Cave

The cave paintings and rock art of Chauvet

The Chauvet Cave is located near the Vallon-Pont-d'Arc in the Ardèche region of southern France. The Cave Paintings of Chauvet date to 30,000 to 32,000 years ago. In the Chauvet Cave hundreds of animal paintings have been found making Chauvet Cave one of the world's most important rock art sites.

Chauvet Cave Through the Eyes of a Sculptor

Visit to the Chauvet Cave in 1999 by John Robinson

These I think were done with the artist’s fingertips. Holding my right arm out and starting from the left, I attempted to imitate the action, without touching the wall of course. I started with my index and third finger, pretending to push them into the wet surface as my hand passed before my face going right, my first finger automatically came into contact with the surface, creating the third line.

	We walked back, skirted around the pit, and approached the end of the chamber. To our right was a raised platform that led to the entrance of a black tunnel, some 10 feet high and 15 across. On the left wall of the entrance of the tunnel is a wonderful painting of a rhinoceros with a black belt around his middle.

On the right a Megaceros, an extinct type of giant Moose like creature with spiky antlers. This was the entrance to the last chamber, the Hall of the Sorcerer. Jean led us past the black tunnel and its forbidding entrance on towards a chamber off to the left, the Bear Skull Altar. Again there is a natural entrance to this chamber, stalagmites to the left and a wall to the right. I followed Jean, with my head lowered so that my helmet light shone on the plastic path, until he stopped and asked me to squeeze past. Looking up I found myself gazing straight into the eyes of the Horses. I don’t think I've ever been so moved by a work of art in my life.

Recovering I started to take in the rest of the wall. Some 15 feet long and 10 high, the whole wall is a giant canvas full of wonderful creations.

		Next to the Horses are two incredible Aurock heads [extinct giant cows], and below them, the famous Fighting Rhinoceros. The panel is without doubt one of the great masterpieces of Homo sapiens Art, besides being the oldest. This is where the sample of charcoal was taken from that gave the date of 32,000 years old.

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