Caves and Horses - Review





Disclaimer: ARC via Netgalley.

                I have never seen the Lascaux Cave paintings, at least not the real ones.  I did see the traveling reconstruction exhibit, which was very cool.  But truth be told, I have never really thought about cave paintings very much, outside of abstract desire to see them.


(from the traveling show. Photo taken by C.Ethier)

                David and Lefrere, however, seem to have spent a significant about of time thinking about cave paintings.  This is a good thing. 


(Cave to scale.  Photo taken by C. Ethier)

                In this short book, it is possible to read this in an hour or so, David and Lefrere make a pretty good case for the cave paintings’ creation – both the how and the why.

                The theory about the why is one of those moments that at first seems so out there but makes such prefect sense when they lay out the details and take the reader along with them on the journey of discovery. 

                I am not entirely sure if I fully believe all the why part of the theory.  While the authors make a very good case, there are too many variables that can be called into account.  The process of how the art made it on to the wall – the “technology”/technique – of the animals on the walls of the cave.


(Reproduction.  Photo C. Ethier)


                The book is very readable because the structure is done in steps.  The reader goes on the journey of discovery with the authors.

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