Wall art can be found in very diverse places. The choice of location is not insignificant. Whether visible to all or only by initiates, they probably reflect the existence of two styles of art: one more collective and one that was "private."
The Magdalenians created art in caves and at open-air sites. Deep caves, for the most part interpreted as sacred, rarely contain vestiges of occupation. They were visited from time to time, sometimes for long periods. At some sites, the entrance can clearly be seen based on the topography, as at Niaux (Ariège) or Font-de-Gaume (Dordogne). At others, access was not so simple, and the works are located both near the main pathway and visible to all, and in more out-of-the-way locations such narrow side chambers and even camarins.
On the other hand, open-air decorated sites – which contain traces of occupation and are thus generally related to the daily life of the Magdalenians – are easily accessible and the works are visible to all. Nevertheless, the artists' graphic choice do not always allow researchers, even here, to interpret every image; some of them appear, even in these settings, to be created only for a limited number of initiates.
