Page 19 - ART AND NATURE IN PREHISTORY. THE COLLECTION OF TRACINGS OF CAVE ART OF THE MUSEO NACIONAL DE CIENCIAS NATURALES

sitessan román de candamo cavern is cave, discovered in 1914 in Asturias, is the example of Paleolithic art found in a more western point within the Iberian Peninsula. Eduardo Hernández-Pacheco divided the artistic expressions into six di erent areas. e so-called Big Hall of engravings concentrates most of the “Upper Paleolithic troglodyte rock art”, the most extraordinary variety of images being located in the “Engravings Wall”, characterised by the superposition of drawings and engravings. However, the author himself explained that: “In the upper compartment of the hall, the so-called “little chamber”, there are sienna or black paintings depicting di erent animals, especially horses; the most beautiful and best preserved gures of the cavern”.He interpreted these artistic motifs as belonging to four successive stages.1st, in-lined and well de ned red gures;2nd, ick-lined fading red gure;3rd, Black gures with no engravings;4th, Engraved gures with additional black lines.On the copies obtained by Juan Cabré Aguiló, “the drawings and paintings were executed for the Memoire, which has to deal with the studies of the cavern”. e other artist working for the Commission, Francisco Benítez Mellado, joined the mission in 1917.art and nature in prehistory. the collection of rock art tracings of the mncn019