Decoding Palaeolithic Art: The Dead Man Tableau
(Room Segell (Internet))
04 Jul 15
7:30 PM
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8:45 PM
Lascaux Cave in Southwestern France contains the most spectacular cave paintings yet discovered, including the most enigmatic of all ancient artworks: The Dead Man Tableau. This assemblage, containing both human and animal elements, seems to entail a narrative, but scholars disagree as to its meaning. Is it the image of an unfortunate hunter, dead at the feet of his mortally wounded prey? Or could it represent a masked Shaman in trance, surrounded by dream figures? Is there a literal or allegorical message? Christopher Kilgore's novel interpretation answers these questions definitively and illuminates the images as important precursors of modern civilization.