Example of animal depiction styles

The bison 

The very essence of the cave and its originality are essentially due to the bison. Their particular style and, above all, their execution are striking: the hypertrophy of the forequarters is the common stereotype, while the hindquarters are treated with great realism, with the perspective of the limbs depicted very well. In addition to the high hump at the withers, their main characteristic is the exaggerated cervical protuberance, which we do not know existed in real life instead of the mane. The horns separate this series of curves and counter-curves from the profile of the head, which is very detailed, with the beard projected forward, distinct from the dewlap, underneath. The head seems to be tucked into the thick fur. This is where the engravings focus on enhancing the details and showing a bristly bun, tufted ears and the hairless areas around the eye and muzzle. The horn in the foreground is S-shaped, while the ear is often connected to it at the base. We can only see the end of the horn in the second plane, parallel to the previous one. The line drawing the bun, forehead, bridge of the nose and muzzle is the result of careful observation of these animals.

Mammoths

For the other species most frequently depicted, stylistic constants can also be seen. Mammoths have a rounded head that is not very prominent in relation to the dorsal arch. The animal's coat, very often shown, is particularly detailed, with precise details of the different directions in which the hair lies depending on the part of the body. The massive limbs with rounded feet sometimes emerge from the woolly coat. The ears may be depicted, the eye large, the tusks realistically set, but intersecting a trunk, usually slightly curled inwards, without any regard for perspective.

Deer and horses

Equal care is taken when dealing with deer. The anatomical proportions have been respected, with the detailed legs showing their true slenderness. The antlers can be very graphic, made up of two long parallel curves that can be more allegorical or more realistic, giving the antlers and tines a unique appearance, sometimes even taking into account the asymmetry of the two brow tines seen on real animals.

Conversely, a great deal of variation can be seen in the horses, depending in particular on the technique used. Those engraved in the end diverticulum, for example, are well proportioned despite their small heads. The horses drawn in paint are more balanced, and those in solid colour are different still.