This book is interesting and thought-provoking, so much so that I made it the next selection in my book club and even ordered another book on Lascaux with photos of the caves. Gregory Curtis does not approach paleolithic art academically. He makes it more accessible. A great introduction to this fascinating subject.

Having been familiar with the briefest of facts regarding the cave art in France, I was not sure what to expect when I read this book. Let's face it - this is not a frequent part of conversation today.

But what a wonderful book this is. There have been many discoveries now, and the time is right for a well-informed introduction to this subject. Sometimes the questions that are provoked by observation of the art and history is just as rich and revealing as the discoveries themselves.

Were these people of 30,000 years ago merely scribbling on the wall, or are there indications of a higher purpose and underlying structure? The answer is subjective, but the well-written narratives of Mr. Curtis allow your mind to consider questions such as who were these people? Did they dream, have friendships, travel beyond their usual territory? Why did they draw some of the things the way they did? What happened in the huge gaps of time when no-one visited the caves?

If a person 32,000 years ago created art in Chauvet, when another person came along 10,000 years later, were they shocked? Did they suspect intruders, or did they eventually realize that the art before them may be from their ancestors? There weren't that many other people around, so that conclusion is possible. Art was rarely defaced or overlapped. And how did these sites survive, in some cases, tens of thousands of years without being destroyed by later people or the elements?

The writing style of this book is easy to follow, and very well done. It is at the same time well-grounded in the facts and personalities of the subject, while frequently asking the right questions and not afraid to journey into unexplored territory.

Enjoy!

THE CAVE PAINTERS: PROBING THE MYSTERIES OF THE WORLD'S FIRST ARTISTS BY GREGORY CURTIS: It was a special day when Gregory Curtis was vacationing in France with his family and entered some famous caves. When he gazed upon the unique cave paintings for the first time, this book was born. The Cave Painters is a two-part story: one small part the story of the rise of Cro-Magnon, modern humans, and their painting abilities; the rest the history of those people who first discovered the paintings and how they proved their finds to the world.

In the first chapter, Curtis starts right at the beginning with the first non-ape hominid to evolve and make their way across Africa as a being that would one day be known as human. He then takes the reader on a journey evolving through different generations of the Homo genus up to Cro-Magnon, better known as Homo sapiens. Curtis also discusses the merits of whether the Neanderthals were "wiped out" by the arrival of Cro-Magnon, leaning more towards no, since the population numbers that are being discussed here are in little more than the thousands. These two different groups of people would rarely have had any contact with each other at all. Nevertheless, it is clear that Curtis has gone all out with the research, making sure that it is clear and up to date, and to put forth multiple ideas that are currently supported, and not just the one he supports.

While the reader is left wanting much more in this area, this is sadly where Curtis essentially leaves it, now taking up the history of those special people who discovered the cave paintings of Western Europe. Though in some ways this is just as moving and tumultuous a story as that of the Cro-Magnons and Neanderthals. These people, for the most part French since the largest number of caves with paintings are located in France, have their story told starting in the nineteenth century. Some were shunned and mocked and even had their careers ruined by others when they told the world of these cave paintings that were over ten thousand years old. Curtis takes the research right up to the present day with what is currently being done with the cave paintings; how probably the most famous caves at Lascaux have been recreated in a separate building due to the deterioration of the paintings by the large number of visitors.

The Cave Painters is an incredible story where the reader first learns a detailed evolutionary history of humanity, and then a detailed biographical history of the famous discoveries of specific cave paintings throughout Europe. Recently released in paperback, the book features numerous copies and illustrations of the cave paintings to aid Curtis's discussion, as well as a selection of colored plates. It is a short book that will educate the reader greatly.

[...]

an entralling and fascinating book -the most balanced treatment of prehistoric cave paintings and why they may have been painted that I have read.

Reviewed by Cerri Ellis

The late nineteenth century was a time of innovation and invention, but also a time of exploration into Earth's distant past. As a result, the public's fascination with ancient artifacts produced many amateur archeologists. Don Marcelino Sanz de Sautuola had been at the world exhibition in Paris and became intrigued by an exposition of ancient objects. Fueled by the fire of imagination, he returned home and set out to excavate a cave known to be on his property. In 1879, Sautuola's young daughter Maria, turned her father's attention from the cave's floor to the ceiling in one of the dimly lit "halls," calling out `Look, Papa, oxen' as she pointed above.

The discovery brought ancient cave paintings to widespread public attention, and started what was to become an intense debate about their origin and meaning that still lingers today.

In The Cave Painters: Probing the Mysteries of the World's First Artists, the author shares his own awe and fascination for cave paintings and discusses the various theories held among the scientific community. What was the purpose of the paintings? Were they part of some hunting or fertility ritual? Perhaps they were created for shamanistic purposes? Or were they merely part each artist's own clan folklore-their version of an oral storytelling tradition?

Curtis' book offers more than hypothesis, it allows you to partake in the wonder, the reverence and beauty of perhaps humanity's earliest artistic creations. The book includes both black and white illustrations, and an 8-page color insert on glossy paper.

Armchair Interviews says: Ideal book for anyone intrigued by these early storytellers.