Simon Coencas (1927 – 2020)

Simon Coencas, the last of the four discoverers of the Lascaux cave, died on 2 February 2020.

The cave in my mind

Aged 13 at the time of the discovery, for this man, who survived the horrors of war, this major discovery will have stayed with him throughout his life. As he was fond of saying, even recently, "I was able to picture the shape of the cave in my mind…even today I could almost draw it".

An exceptional discovery

Born in Montreuil in 1927, Simon Coencas found refuge with his family in Montignac, at that time located in the Free Zone, in June 1940. It was with his comrades George Agniel, Jacques Marsal and Marcel Ravidat that he discovered the Lascaux cave on 12 September 1940. Amazed by what he saw, he would remain struck by the beauty and power of these paintings throughout his life. The German decree of 27 September 1940 required all Jews to register, forcing Simon Coencas to return to Paris. Arrested in 1942 together with his family, he was interned in the Muette camp at Drancy. His young age allowed the Red Cross to get him out of the camp along with his sister Éliette, unlike the other members of his family, who were deported and exterminated at Auschwitz.

Back to Lascaux

It was not until 1986 that he returned to Lascaux, to mark the publication of Mario Ruspoli's book Lascaux, un nouveau regard. Simon Coencas would also take part in the ceremonies to mark the 50^th anniversary of the discovery alongside François Mitterrand and the 70^thanniversary, which was attended by Nicolas Sarkozy. He would attend the inauguration of the International Centre of Cave Art by François Hollande in 2016. Awarded the Ordre du Mérite in 1991, Simon Coencas was made an Officier des Arts et Lettres in 2011.

Although not left untouched by life’s challenges, he has always kept his mischievous smile and sparkling eyes, especially when he talks about the cave.