My Journey to the Lascaux CavesMatt Ballweg

October 7, 2010

The UnicornAs soon as one enters the Rotunda, the gaze is drawn to an oddly-shaped animal – the Unicorn. It is the first animal in the cave, and appears to be pushing all the animals on this wall towards the back of the gallery. It has an undulating appearance, leading one to think that it might be a depiction of a feline, with it’s square head, protruding withers, swollen belly and strong paws. Nevertheless, two straight horns extend the length of this creature by a third, which tempts one to classify it as a mythical beast. A number of interpretations have been put forward, none of them satisfactory.

The Red and Black HorseAt more than two meters in length, this figure facing the back of the gallery is one of the most imposing figures in the entire cave. It is also, along with the Chinese Horses, one of the most complete. The hide, which is entirely depicted, has been given a diffuse dichromatic treatment, a mixture of intermingled black and red zones. The limbs are fully extended, and the figure leans forward. This animation should be considered in parallel with an imaginary floor-line, here materialized by a fissure that extends beneath the animal's forelimbs, contributing to the figure's movement.

Horse Rolling on the GroundThe singular nature of some of the animal figures in the Passageway comes from their apparent motion or the treatment of certain anatomical segments. We can see this in the Horse with the Turned-Back Hindlimb, which occupies the centre of a composition involving a dozen equids. Another example is the Horse Rolling on the Ground, which, like the Falling Cow in the Axial Gallery, is depicted in motion – a rare event. To make it easier to see, the outline has been enhanced.

The Swimming StagsThis composition contains the only figures on the right-hand wall. We are in the presence of five heads of stags, turned towards the back of the gallery. A horse and a line of dots are discretely blended into the centre of the panel. The traditional name of Swimming Stags comes from the fact that only the heads, antlers and necks have been represented. Beneath them, the color of the rock changes, following along the base of each figure. Depictions of rows of heads such as this are not rare.

The XIII SignIn the last two-thirds of the Chamber of the Feline, the number of schematic figures, but also of animals, diminishes sharply in comparison with the entryway. Among these later figures, there is an association of two black juxtaposed geometric figures, one a cross and the other consisting of three parallel lines. Taken together, they form the Roman numeral XIII.

Small Head of a HorseMost of the animal figures in the Apse are medium- and large-sized. Nevertheless, there are exceptions, such as this small, isolated horse's head, which is barely 10 cm long. This is one of the smallest figures in the gallery. Miniaturization, however, does not mean discretion. The heavy line and the black background, which contrasts with the white of the engraving, makes this figure stand out remarkably

Black HorseAt the base of the hole in the sand and clay sediment giving access to the Shaft, prior to the clearing work generated by the excavations of Henri Breuil and André Glory, there is, at eye level, the partial image of a horse. This is the only figure on this wall. The image is of mediocre quality, compared with the masterpieces adorning the walls of the upper level of Lascaux, and is limited to the head, neck and the beginning of the back. It is interesting to note that all of the drawings in the Shaft were done with manganese dioxide, a black pigment.

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