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Art rupestre

24 works held in 15 museums

Rock paintings and engravings from every continent, from Prehistory to the 20th century

Red-painted human figures, Tadrart Acacus, Art rupestre

Red-painted human figures, Tadrart Acacus, c. 12000 BCE–100 CE.

Figures humaines peintes en rouge, Tadrart Acacus (museum title)

Art rupestre, rock painting

Tadrart Acacus, Ghat District, Libya

Elephants engraved in the rock, Tadrart Acacus, Art rupestre

Elephants engraved in the rock, Tadrart Acacus, c. 12000 BCE–100 CE.

Éléphants gravés dans la roche, Tadrart Acacus (museum title)

Art rupestre, rock engraving

Tadrart Acacus, Ghat District, Libya

Detail of a red painting on the rock face, Tsodilo Hills, Art rupestre

Detail of a red painting on the rock face, Tsodilo Hills, c. 22000 BCE–1850 CE.

Détail d'une peinture rouge sur la paroi, collines de… (museum title)

Art rupestre, rock painting

Tsodilo Hills, Ngamiland District, Botswana

Eland and a shaman in trance, Game Pass Shelter, Art rupestre

Eland and a shaman in trance, Game Pass Shelter, after 1000 BCE.

Éland et chamane en transe, abri de Game Pass (museum title)

Art rupestre, rock painting

Game Pass Shelter, Kamberg Nature Reserve, Drakensberg (KwaZulu-Natal), South Africa

Panel of Barrier Canyon style pictographs, Sego Canyon, Art rupestre

Panel of Barrier Canyon style pictographs, Sego Canyon, c. 2000 BCE–500 CE.

Panneau de pictogrammes de style Barrier Canyon, Sego Canyon (museum title)

Art rupestre, rock painting

Sego Canyon, Grand County (Utah), United States

A cattle-herding people on the move, Jabbaren, Tassili n'Ajjer, Art rupestre

A cattle-herding people on the move, Jabbaren, Tassili n'Ajjer, c. 4500–2000 BCE.

Peuple de bouviers en déplacement, Jabbaren, Tassili n'Ajjer (museum title)

Art rupestre, rock painting

Tassili n'Ajjer National Park, Jabbaren site, Algeria

Red anthropomorphic figures and scratched animals, Sego Canyon, Art rupestre

Red anthropomorphic figures and scratched animals, Sego Canyon, c. 2000 BCE–500 CE.

Figures anthropomorphes rouges et animaux grattés, Sego… (museum title)

Art rupestre, rock painting and engraving

Sego Canyon, Grand County (Utah), United States

Negative hand stencils, Cueva de las Manos, Art rupestre

Negative hand stencils, Cueva de las Manos, c. 7300 BCE–700 CE.

Mains négatives, Cueva de las Manos (museum title)

Art rupestre, rock painting

Cueva de las Manos, Pinturas River, Santa Cruz Province, Argentina

Panel of figures drawn in bat guano, Magura Cave, Art rupestre

Panel of figures drawn in bat guano, Magura Cave, c. 8000–1200 BCE.

Panneau de figures dessinées au guano, grotte de Magura (museum title)

Art rupestre, rock painting

Magura Cave, Rabisha, Belogradchik (Vidin Province), Bulgaria

Decorated cattle and figures, Laas Geel shelter, Art rupestre

Decorated cattle and figures, Laas Geel shelter, c. 9000–2500 BCE.

Bovins parés et figures, abri de Laas Geel (museum title)

Art rupestre, rock painting

Laas Geel, near Hargeisa, Somaliland (Somalia)

Lions, replica of Chauvet Cave, Art rupestre

Lions, replica of Chauvet Cave, c. 35000–26000 BCE.

Lions, réplique de la grotte Chauvet (museum title)

Art rupestre, rock painting (replica)

Replica of Chauvet Cave (Ardèche, France), Anthropos Pavilion, Moravian Museum, Brno, Czech Republic

Crouching bison, replica of the ceiling of the Cave of Altamira, Art rupestre

Crouching bison, replica of the ceiling of the Cave of Altamira, c. 34000–12000 BCE.

Bison couché, réplique du plafond de la grotte d'Altamira (museum title)

Art rupestre, rock painting (replica)

Replica of the Cave of Altamira (Cantabria, Spain), Anthropos Pavilion, Moravian Museum, Brno, Czech Republic

Painted horned animal, Rock Shelter 15, Bhimbetka, Art rupestre

Painted horned animal, Rock Shelter 15, Bhimbetka, c. 10000 BCE–1500 CE.

Animal à cornes peint, abri sous roche n° 15, Bhimbetka (museum title)

Art rupestre, rock painting

Bhimbetka Rock Shelters, Raisen District (Madhya Pradesh), India

Animals and signs painted in outline, Kondoa-Irangi, Art rupestre

Animals and signs painted in outline, Kondoa-Irangi, c. 4000 BCE–1970 CE.

Animaux et signes peints au trait, Kondoa-Irangi (museum title)

Art rupestre, rock painting

Kondoa Rock-Art Sites, Dodoma Region, Tanzania

Red-painted quadruped on the rock face, Serra da Capivara, Art rupestre

Red-painted quadruped on the rock face, Serra da Capivara, c. 23000–8500 BCE.

Quadrupède peint en rouge sur la paroi, Serra da Capivara (museum title)

Art rupestre, rock painting

Serra da Capivara National Park, Piauí, Brazil

Standing bison, replica of the ceiling of the Cave of Altamira, Art rupestre

Standing bison, replica of the ceiling of the Cave of Altamira, c. 34000–12000 BCE.

Bison debout, réplique du plafond de la grotte d'Altamira (museum title)

Art rupestre, rock painting (replica)

Replica of the Cave of Altamira (Cantabria, Spain), Anthropos Pavilion, Moravian Museum, Brno, Czech Republic

Paintings in Rock Shelter 3, Bhimbetka, Art rupestre

Paintings in Rock Shelter 3, Bhimbetka, c. 10000 BCE–1500 CE.

Peintures de l'abri sous roche n° 3, Bhimbetka (museum title)

Art rupestre, rock painting

Bhimbetka Rock Shelters, Raisen District (Madhya Pradesh), India

Red antelope and hatched motifs, Kondoa-Irangi, Art rupestre

Red antelope and hatched motifs, Kondoa-Irangi, c. 4000 BCE–1970 CE.

Antilope rouge et motifs hachurés, Kondoa-Irangi (museum title)

Art rupestre, rock painting

Kondoa Rock-Art Sites, Dodoma Region, Tanzania

Deer with a striped body and painted figures, Serra da Capivara, Art rupestre

Deer with a striped body and painted figures, Serra da Capivara, c. 23000–8500 BCE.

Cervidé au corps strié et figures peintes, Serra da Capivara (museum title)

Art rupestre, rock painting

Serra da Capivara National Park, Piauí, Brazil

Megaloceros and a row of dots, replica of a Lascaux painting, Art rupestre

Megaloceros and a row of dots, replica of a Lascaux painting, c. 20000–15000 BCE.

Mégacéros et suite de points, réplique d'une peinture de… (museum title)

Art rupestre, rock painting (replica)

Replica of a painting from Lascaux Cave (Montignac, Dordogne, France), exhibition venue not stated

Red-painted horned animal, Tsodilo Hills, Art rupestre

Red-painted horned animal, Tsodilo Hills, c. 22000 BCE–1850 CE.

Animal à cornes peint en rouge, collines de Tsodilo (museum title)

Art rupestre, rock painting

Tsodilo Hills, Ngamiland District, Botswana

Slender figure painted in dark red, Kondoa-Irangi, Art rupestre

Slender figure painted in dark red, Kondoa-Irangi, c. 4000 BCE–1970 CE.

Personnage filiforme peint en rouge sombre, Kondoa-Irangi (museum title)

Art rupestre, rock painting

Kondoa Rock-Art Sites, Dodoma Region, Tanzania

Horses, rhinoceroses and aurochs, replica of Chauvet Cave, Art rupestre

Horses, rhinoceroses and aurochs, replica of Chauvet Cave, c. 35000–26000 BCE.

Chevaux, rhinocéros et aurochs, réplique de la grotte… (museum title)

Art rupestre, rock painting (replica)

Replica of Chauvet Cave (Ardèche, France), Anthropos Pavilion, Moravian Museum, Brno, Czech Republic

Horses, replica of Lascaux Cave, Art rupestre

Horses, replica of Lascaux Cave, c. 20000–15000 BCE.

Chevaux, réplique de la grotte de Lascaux (museum title)

Art rupestre, rock painting (replica)

Replica of Lascaux Cave (Montignac, Dordogne, France), Anthropos Pavilion, Moravian Museum, Brno, Czech Republic

Rock art is the paintings and engravings made on stone, in caves, shelters or in the open air, from the earliest known images more than 35,000 years ago to traditions still alive in the 20th century. This page brings together sites from every continent, from the oldest to the most recent; the age given is a range estimated from the sources, and some images show replicas of caves closed to the public.

Useum presents only public-domain works of art, held by museums and private collections, as well as freely reusable photographic reproductions (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).