Magdalenian art combines figurative and abstract elements. Figurative art consists primarily of depictions of wildlife: bison and horse are, generally speaking, the two most represented species, while ibex, deer, mammoths, aurochs and cats occupy a secondary position.
Other, rarer animal themes are also found at some sites: bear, muskox, saiga antelope, birds, fish, etc. The animals depicted do not seem to be connected with what was hunted; for example reindeer, which was quite sought after in the Magdalenian, is less represented than other animals that were not consumed as much. In this bestiary, depictions of humans are infrequent.
Magdalenian art is distinguished by the realism of the animals. The bodies are complete and well proportioned, with detailed depictions of the main organs, muscle and bone protrusions and the coat. Humans, on the other hand, are often schematised and even misshapen. Some subjects are both human and animal. Finally, Magdalenian art also has many simple and complex geometric shapes. Depending on the region, the nature of the sites and the techniques used, the frequency of themes varies considerably.
