Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Stunning Photos and Essays of Great Prehistoric Cave Art, 22 May 2004
Prior to Darwin, there was relatively little interest in prehistoric art. Then the theory of evolution and the discovery of many wonderful caves jammed with art, almost like museums, conspired to change all of that. Altamira's art dates back around 15,500 years (due to radioactive dating techniques), but it originally drew little attention because it was too wonderful to be real. The psychology of disbelief stall led all but a few scholars to dismiss this gem. It took almost 20 years for its authenticity to be established, and subsequent evidence has only strengthened its claims. Many people feel that Altamira is the most wonderful collection of prehistoric art in existence. The other famous cave is Lescaux in France. In between these caves geographically, many other caves with drawings have been found.
After being initially ignored after its discovery in 1879, it soon experienced a crush of visitors (eventually approaching 200,000 in a single year). But cave art isn't going to last with that much extra heat and humidity, so the caves have now been closed except to the occasional scholar. The good news is that this cave (located near the seacoast in Spain) is being reproduced so that one can visit and get a sense of the place without harming the art.Altamira is an extensive series of caves (about 270 yards long) with many different sections. The entrances and exits have mysterious masks. In one section with a low-hung ceiling are many wonderful large paintings of bison (many of these you will recognize). Another area features engravings in the soft stone that are remarkable in their detail and delicacy. Yet other areas have different features. The photographs are magnificent and capture both the beauty of the individual images as well as giving a sense of the part of the cave they are in. The essays in the book are remarkably complete. They describe the history of the cave, the evolution of theories about what the art means, descriptions of how the art was probably created, and the difficulties of preserving and recording the cave's contents. The only drawback was that the discussions of the theories were somewhat redundant, and would have benefited from a stronger editorial hand or more preplanning. Anyone who loves art, is interested in prehistoric life, or is fascinated by cave art would love this book. Anyone who loves a good mystery will, too. Open your mind to the possibilities that exist, and use this book as an excellent example of how often we underestimate the potential of what is in front of us.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The rocks come alive, 11 Dec 2006
Closure of a number of palaeolithic cave art sites has produced a wave of books depicting the art by photography. These efforts are of varying quality, but this one on Altamira is one of the more noteworthy examples. In addition to the photographs, Saura Ramos has enlisted several cave art scholars to add informative essays on history of the discovery, descriptions of the cave and the paintings and the problems of conservation and protection. Particularly useful is an article on the methods used to produce the cave graphics. The reader is nearly alongside the artist as the charcoal or ochre stick applied to render the image. It's an effective means of "personalising" the renderings.
Spanish scholars on various topics author all the essays comprising the body of the text. From a beginning of the history of the discovery of the Altamira graphics, the cave's local environment is examined. A diagram of the cave is shown, although lacking any measurement scale. The art and artists in the time of the paintings' creation is given with an explanation of the timescale involved. The images and artefacts were approximately dated in the era preceding radiometric dating methods employed today. Forms and styles of the work are set in the general scope of "Ages" then in use by scholars. The painters spread their work throughout the cave system where space and useful rock forms were available. A very useful addition, often overlooked in accounts of other cave or rock art, is the size of the image. This is handy to have and useful to keep in mind as you view the image reproductions. There is also a discussion of paintings versus engravings that appear at Altamira.
Of major importance, and almost unique in cave art books, is the discussion of the artistic concepts and painting styles used to make the images. Some very precise analytical techniques have been applied to these paintings during the last generation. The layers of strokes, the application of colours and the forms of natural rock formations that underlie many of the images have been closely scrutinised. The author of this essay, Matilde Muzquiz Perez-Seoane has compiled a detailed set of examples of the rendering process. Given the conditions that prevailed in the time of the painters, their powers of observation and application were exceptional. It's not for nothing that Picasso declared "We've learned nothing in thousands of years".
It is the photographs, of course, that render this book valuable and captivating. Saura A Ramon's work is exquisite in portraying how the paintings would be seen were you to visit the site. His professional use of light and shadow, although unable to duplicate the wavering illumination provided by oil lamps and torches, still depicts the scenes as closely as the artists might have seen them. Bulging rock transformed into bison or other animals nearly jump out at the reader's view. Cracks formed backbones, heads and other anatomy, giving the images a sense of life. Only a film using equally effective techniques could offer improvement over the images in this book. It's a superb effort in giving us a sense of what the artists and the people originally viewing these paintings might have felt. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]
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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Our mysterious ancestors, 8 May 2004
This beautiful book explores the cave of Altamira in Spain, called "The Sistine Chapel of Quaternary Art" for the splendour of its drawings, engravings and paintings. The cave was first occupied 18 450 years ago and its early history ended about 13 000 years ago when the entrance vault collapsed. It was discovered again in 1879.The text comprises an introduction by Antonio Beltrán and various articles: The Cave And Surroundings by José Lasheras Corruchaga; Altamira: Art, Artists And Times by Federico de Quirós; Techniques Individual Artists And Artistic Concepts by Matilde Pérez-Seoane; Photographing Altamira by Pedro Ramos; Conservation Problems by Corruchaga and a Conclusion: The Future by Beltrán. This great monument to prehistoric art is documented by impressive colour and black and white photographs of the area, the artworks and the tools found in the caves, including a portrait of the discoverer Sautuola. There are maps of the cave, a bibliography, notes and an index. This magnificent book offers an exhaustive study of the wonderful and mysterious cave complex of Altamira and also deals with a number of theories about cave art around the world that casts some light on our ancient ancestors.
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by Jean Clottes
by Paul G. Bahn
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