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Painting has many different forms of expression. There is plenty of choice from the legion of movements that attract people to exhibitions and museums worldwide. A 'genre' that is usually missing there is the prehistoric art that the painters of that time left behind in caves and on the walls of rock formations. In its sometimes childish simplicity, their offspring are difficult to compare in quality with the masterpieces of, say, Rembrandt or Picasso.
In addition to an expression of creativity, this prehistoric art is perhaps mainly a way to immortalize daily life from that time. The art in Spain roughly covers the period from 8000 to 3500 BC. Moreover, we must not forget that the quality of their 'canvas' and 'brushes' had limitations. The rough surface and the lack of good painting material made it impossible to create nuances and refinements in their work. What exactly the 'paint' consisted of at that time is still unclear to a certain extent. But it is certain that mineral earth and charcoal were often used. Prominent colours are red and black and to a lesser extent white and yellow.
Spain is now blessed with many locations where the origins of painting can be admired. According to Unesco, Spain is even the country with the most places in Europe where this is possible. The majority of the 758 registered sites can be admired in just six regions. The Murcia and Alicante/Valencia regions are richly represented with 72 and no less than 301 locations respectively.
It is striking that the choice of subject of the drawings varies considerably. In the Costa Blanca and Costa Calida area, images of animals (especially goats and deer) and hunting scenes predominate. Further north, human figures and battle scenes are more common.
For more detailed information and suggestions where this primitive art form can be viewed, google spainrockartroutes.
