STONE AGE MASTERPIECE AT BRISTOL MUSEUM & ART GALLERY

Imagine stumbling across a network of cave galleries covered in 20,000 year-old paintings and engravings, that may not have been seen by human eyes for thousands of years. That is what happened to four teenagers in Dordogne, France, in 1940. The discovery thrilled the world and visitors flocked to the site. The site has been closed to the public since 1963 to protect the delicate environment.

Now, for the first time, you can visit it (virtually) in the UK. Bristol Museum & Art Gallery are the first and only venue in the UK to host this international exhibition. The exhibition and immersive experience allows you to feel the wonder of those teenagers eighty years ago and the excitement of the academics who followed. Using a Virtual Reality (VR) headset, you can even visit the deepest and tiniest corner of its galleries, seen in real life by only a handful of experts. Explore by torchlight, see how these ancient artists created a sense of movement, learn how the drawings were made, and try to decipher the mysteries of the scenes and symbols.

Councillor Craig Cheney, Deputy Mayor of Bristol with the responsibility for culture, said: “Museums play a vital role in bringing communities together, they help us to understand our past and imagine a better future. By using cutting edge technology like VR, we can not only introduce history and art in an exciting new way to our regular visitors, but also engage with new audiences, the museum visitors of the future. This immersive exhibition is a great opportunity to see this amazing cave art for the first time in the UK, whether you just marvel at its beauty or learn something new about Stone Age life.”

The paintings from the walls of this cave in France include a wide variety of animals – around 600 creatures – including horses, deer, aurochs and bison, ibex, and even felines and rhinoceros. Experts still puzzle over the imagery in ‘the Shaft Scene’, which features the only human figure. The cave has been described as ‘the Sistine Chapel of the Stone Age’ and inspired Picasso and many other artists of the 20th century.

Alongside the VR experience, exhibits of replica tools and objects found in Lascaux and surrounding caves give us a glimpse into the life and culture of the Cro-Magnon people who created these artworks 20,000 years ago. You will meet an incredibly lifelike Cro-Magnon family created from archaeological evidence by renowned French sculptor Elisabeth Daynes. There is also a fullsize replica of part of the cave wall, a scale model of the whole cave complex, and digital interactive screens that reveal hidden elements and allow you to analyse the drawings in closer detail.

CEO of Lascaux International Exhibition, Dr Olivier Retout said: "There are many rich Palaeolithic sites in the UK and many English prehistorians have contributed to archaeological investigations in Périgord since the end of the 19th century. Our two countries were not separated by the sea in the Palaeolithic and Cro-Magnons could go on foot. There is no doubt that Lascaux women and men, who were nomadic people, often walked through the UK in the Upper Palaeolithic. So, we are today very proud to continue the story and to present Lascaux Exhibition in the UK for the first time of its World tour.”

The original exhibition welcomed 2.5 million visitors on four continents, with the VR and other cutting-edge technology added in 2021. This is the first time it has visited the UK and is next due to tour the United States of America and China (PRC).

Dan Feeney, Interim Head of Culture & Creative Industries at Bristol City Council said: “We have fantastic archaeological collections here at Bristol Museums, and fascinating sites in the UK, but no cave art to rival the scale of the awe-inspiring Lascaux. We are beyond thrilled to share this exhibition here in Bristol. Grab the opportunity of this unique experience while you can!”

The Cave Art of Lascaux: a Virtual Reality Experience opens on Saturday 1 April at Bristol Museum & Art Gallery and continues until 10 September 2023. Entry is ticketed with discounts for families. An event programme and range of specially designed merchandise accompany the exhibition.