November 16th, 2009 | 
Author: The Lascaux caves in Dordogne were featured on a BBC documentary exploring the concept of beauty in art.
‘What is Beauty?’ was broadcast on Saturday the fourteenth of November on BBC Two. In it, artist and write Matthew Collings sets out to answer whether beauty is universal, or whether it is “in the eye of the beholder”.
The programme shows Collins discussing and showcasing ten of his favourite pieces of historical artwork. As well as works by Gaugin, Rauschenberg and Michaelango, Collins explored the work of the unidentified artists of the infamous Lascaux caves.
Located in the Dordogne department of France, the Lascaux caves are the source of international significance. Their appearance in What Is Beauty highlighted their historical significance as some of the earliest identified pieces of artwork in the world.
In What is Beauty, Collins discussed some of the 2,000 figures painted on the cave walls. Even older than the statues and paintings of Michaelangelo, the cave art is estimated as being nearly 16,000 years old. They mainly portray animals known to have lived in the Perigord region over that period.
Discussing the cave art, Collins said: “The magic of the beauty of cave art is transformation of dirty little piles of coloured pigment into a magic illusion of the artist’s living reality”.
The cave system is so precious that it is a UNESCO world heritage site, and public access is restricted to the replica caves established to protect the archaeological goldmine of the Lascaux. These replica caves remain a highlight for many people on a french holiday, as they are accurate reproductions of artefacts so old and delicate that even the moisture from someones breath can cause damage.
The programme is available for another 5 days on the BBC iPlayer.
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