Painting – Nothing New Under The Sun In 17,000 Years

Picasso, on visiting Lascaux, reportedly remarked that “we have discovered nothing new in art in 17,000 years.” NYU professor Randall White writes in a new book that, “all of the major representational techniques were known at least by the Magdalenian [Period, beginning about 18,000 years ago]; oil- and water-based polychrome painting, engraving, bas-relief sculpture, sculpture in the round, charcoal and manganese crayon drawing, molded clay, fired ceramic figurines, shading, perspective drawing, false relief, brush painting, stamping and stenciling.”