Oldest and most complete of several artistic traditions of the Paleolithic Period that flourished in southwestern France and the Cantabrian Mountains of northern Spain 0441; 40,00010,000 BC.
It developed in huge limestone caves, such as Altamira and Lascaux Grotto , which served as ceremonial centres for ancient hunters. Inspired by magical-religious beliefs, the art consists of large numbers of cave paintings of single, lively, unrelated animals, which may have been used in rituals invoking success in the hunt and animal fertility. Small carved figurines incised with linear details have also been found.