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The Cave Painters by Gregory Curtis
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The Cave Painters

Probing the Mysteries of the World's First Artists

Probing the Mysteries of the World's First Artists

By Gregory Curtis

By Gregory Curtis

By Gregory Curtis

By Gregory Curtis

Best Seller
Paperback $16.95

Oct 09, 2007 | ISBN 9781400078875

Ebook $11.99

Dec 10, 2008 | ISBN 9780307482709

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    The Cave Painters by Gregory Curtis
    Paperback $16.95
    Oct 09, 2007 | ISBN 9781400078875

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      Oct 09, 2007 | ISBN 9781400078875

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    About The Cave Painters

    The Cave Painters is a vivid introduction to the spectacular cave paintings of France and Spain—the individuals who rediscovered them, theories about their origins, their splendor and mystery.

     

    Gregory Curtis makes us see the astonishing sophistication and power of the paintings and tells us what is known about their creators, the Cro-Magnon people of some 40,000 years ago. He takes us through various theories—that the art was part of fertility or hunting rituals, or used for religious purposes, or was clan mythology—examining the ways interpretations have changed over time. Rich in detail, personalities, and history, The Cave Painters is above all permeated with awe for those distant humans who developed—perhaps for the first time—both the ability for abstract thought and a profound and beautiful way to express it.

    About The Cave Painters

    The Cave Painters is a vivid introduction to the spectacular cave paintings of France and Spain—the individuals who rediscovered them, theories about their origins, their splendor and mystery.

     

    Gregory Curtis makes us see the astonishing sophistication and power of the paintings and tells us what is known about their creators, the Cro-Magnon people of some 40,000 years ago. He takes us through various theories—that the art was part of fertility or hunting rituals, or used for religious purposes, or was clan mythology—examining the ways interpretations have changed over time. Rich in detail, personalities, and history, The Cave Painters is above all permeated with awe for those distant humans who developed—perhaps for the first time—both the ability for abstract thought and a profound and beautiful way to express it.

    Read An Excerpt

    Read An Excerpt

    Also by Gregory Curtis

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    See all books by Gregory Curtis

    Also by Gregory Curtis

    Paris Without Her
    Disarmed
    See all books by Gregory Curtis

    About Gregory Curtis

    GREGORY CURTIS is the author of The Cave Painters: Probing the Mysteries of the World’s First Artists and Disarmed: The Story of the Venus de Milo. He was editor of Texas Monthly from 1981 until 2000. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The… More about Gregory Curtis

    About Gregory Curtis

    GREGORY CURTIS is the author of The Cave Painters: Probing the Mysteries of the World’s First Artists and Disarmed: The Story of the Venus de Milo. He was editor of Texas Monthly from 1981 until 2000. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The… More about Gregory Curtis

    Product Details

    Category: Art | Ancient World History

    Paperback | $16.95
    Published by Anchor
    Oct 09, 2007 | 288 Pages | 5-3/16 x 8 | ISBN 9781400078875

    Category: Art | Ancient World History

    Ebook | $11.99
    Published by Anchor
    Dec 10, 2008 | 288 Pages | ISBN 9780307482709
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    Praise

    "Fascinating. . . . We will be arguing about these glorious creations for many years to come." —The Washington Post Book World"The beauty of the cave art moves Curtis deeply, and his writing preserves that passionate response." —Seattle Times“Curtis is a good storyteller, and he has good stories to tell about eccentrics of all sorts.” —The Christian Science Monitor“A fascinating survey of the rival theories. . . . [Readers will be] swept up in the beauty of the cave paintings and the persuasive pull of his prose.” —Richmond Times-Dispatch

    Table Of Contents

    Introduction
    The Naked Cave Man

    Chapter 1
    The Seductive Axe; The Well-Clothed Arrivals

    Chapter 2
    A Skeptic Admits His Error; The Passion of Miss Mary E. Boyle

    Chapter 3
    Noble Robot, an Inquiring Dog; The Abbé’s Sermons on the Mount

    Chapter 4
    The Great Black Cow; How to Paint a Horse

    Chapter 5
    A Stormy Drama Among Bison; The Golden Section

    Chapter 6
    A Lively but Unreliable Creation; Quaint, Symbolic Arrows

    Chapter 7
    The Trident-Shaped Cave; Pairing, Not Coupling

    Chapter 8
    Three Brothers in a Boat; The Sorcerer

    Chapter 9
    A Passage Underwater; The Skull on a Rock

    Chapter 10
    Strange, Stylized Women; The World Below the World

    Acknowledgments
    Notes
    Bibliography
    Index

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