Scene from the Quaternary Upper Paleolithic Period

What you see

It is night: a full moon shines among clouds at upper right, above dark trees. On the left, a wall of rock frames the mouth of a cave. Below, a group of long-haired people gathers around an enormous curved tusk, and on the right two more, seated by the fire, appear as silhouettes.

The bonfire is the source of light: thick strokes of yellow, orange and white set the rocks and bodies aglow against the cold blue of the sky. The paint is loose and quick, as in a sketch. Seek out the white curve of the tusk, held upright by one of the figures, and the black mouth of the cave.