Lesson on the Lascaux Cave: The Black Cow Panel

Introduction

• Site: Lascaux Cave
• Location: Nave, left wall
• Focal point: Black Cow Panel

Route

1. Cross the rotunda and its exhibits
2. Turn into the lower gallery (The Passage)
3. The panel is located opposite the entrance of the apse
   • Between the footprint panel and the bisons

Description of the Panel

Black Cow

• Central figure
• Length: >2 meters
• Species: Aurochs (ancestor of cattle)
• Techniques: Solid black color, engraved details
• Details: Brown band along the dorsal line, curved horns, precise musculature

Horses

1. Sequence of 20 horses
   • Interlocked and painted on soft calcite
   • Orientation: Majority facing the entrance, some facing the back
   • Realism and movement outlined by engraving and painting techniques
2. Specific descriptions
   • Small horses inserted next to larger horses
   • Doubling of hind legs for dynamism
   • Rounded legs for some horses

Artistic Techniques

• Various techniques represented
  • Single engravings
  • Black contours
  • Monochromatic colors (brown/black)
  • Use of the white limestone background for details

Abstract Signs

• Multicolored rectangles
  • Positioned near the cow's tail and hooves
  • Techniques: Checkerboard, various colors used
  • Exceptional presence of the color purple
• The blazons
  • Possible symbolism related to the themes represented or the human group

Final Observations

• Disproportion among the horses (massive bodies, thin heads)
• Artistic conventions strictly adhered to
• Collaboration between multiple artists to complete the panel
  • Use of wooden scaffolding, preparation of paint and lighting
• Symbolic and intellectual or religious significance of the compositions
• The nave as an expression of the spirituality and beauty of Cro-Magnon art