The Great Black Bull is the most emblematic work, not only of Lascaux, but also of the ensemble of decorated Palaeolithic caves and shelters.
At 3.71 metres long and 1.93 meters tall, it is indeed a monumental work. This monumentality is accentuated by the very dark colouring of the bull's hide, which contrasts with the immaculate background, as well as by the absence of figures of comparable size. Indeed, within a 5-metre radius, there is no representation, with the exception of imagery associated with – absorbed by, really – the giant silhouette, that interferes in the surrounding space.
Two graphic techniques were used. A brush was used for the line of the back, the tail and the horns; the rest of the animal was created using the spray technique. Some believe that the animal was created on two separate occasions. In fact, this dichotomy is due to problems in accessing the surface of the wall. The use of the brush allowed the artist to reach farther than pigment could be sprayed. Observation of the superimposed areas of the seven other figures allows us to propose a chronology for the depictions in this panel.
The small yellow horse in front of the bull was created during the initial interventions by the painters. After the completion of the two cows and the four yellow aurochs heads, the artists then proceeded to the final stage, the creation of the Great Black Bull. Its shape covers a large part of the other figures, but without hiding them completely. The openings left for the positioning of the bodies of the two cows indicate that there was no intention to fully cover over the underlying figures.