The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-01-18
ART OF STONE MEN
SHOWN AT MUSEUM
Operti Completes Mural Paint
ings Of FrescOes Found in
France and Spain.
SCIENTISTS INTERESTED
Works Said to Show Prehistoric
Men Were Intelligent
and Artistic.

Albert Operti has completed the mural
paintings In the alcove OF the North
American archaeology hail Of the Ameri-
can Museum of Natural History. These
are reproductions of the celebrated fres-
Goes discovered OH the walls OF the caves
of Font de Gaume In France and the
Altamra cave in Spain.
There are Ave polychrome frescoes In
tho series, representing prehistoric ami
mails OF that region. These include the
bison from Altamira, Spain; the man.
moths and bison from the cave of Font
de Gaume France and a wolf, reindeer
and two horses from the famous cave Of
Spain.
The originals - these pictures are
handed down from the stone age and 1t
is estimated that they date back $4,000
years. 1t liz said that they represent
palseolithic art at its best period.
The reproductions by operti are OF the
same size as the originals discovered in
the haunts OF the cave men and are
chiefly OF animals now extinct.
Rival Of Cave OF Aitamira.
Tho cavern of Font de Gaume il a rival
in point of interest to the famous cave or
Atamira.
The polychrome paintings discovered
III Ine ErOttO VI FUN ue 'duihS uiV Soh-
sidersd among the most interesting
known to scientists and the authenticity
Of the palaolithio cave paintings Is no
longer questioned. The walls of the Font
de Gaume are bare for some sixty feet
from tho entrance the elements probably
having erased tho paintings through GEN.
turtles OF exposure.
According to Prof. Henry Fairfield Os-
born, who has visited the famous caves OF
| .t,, av,l Lrnn hn frAs
Altamira. near the old Spanish capital of
Santillana. Is more than sixty feet in
length. with It's polychrome bison. horses,
stays and wild boar.
mot even the faultless reproductions
of Able Breuil." says Prof. Osborn. "can
convey any idea OF the impression pro-
duced by this wonderful chamber. II
ranks for paleolithic times with the
ranks for for palrothic times with the
great gallery of Valcsauez In the Prado
OF Madrid and deserves the close guar
dlanship of the Spanish Government
THE museum Is slowly preparing a
special exhibition OF the early evolution
of man I'm Europe. France II now leading
! the world In this branch of anthropolovy
and the discoveries which have been made
during the last ten years bring the stone
| age almost within reach OF the historian.
says Stone Men Were Artistic.
1.-The types of men who inhabited Italy
| France and Spain have become known NOT
only through their ancient burials but
also through their paintings and sculp'
| ture: they were OF superior Intelligence
and gifted with strong artistic sense
! In the alcove OF the archaeological hal
is an exhibit of various implements OF thu
| stone age.
| One Of the features Of this exhibit is {
slab of limestone from "A rock shelter il
the Dordogne region, France, on which Il
| engraved the figure NJ horse. a primitiv'
type, but nevertheless OF unusual interest
| Engravings were executed in prehis
toric times by M ans Of a sharp piece o
| flint. which served to outline the hgur'
| portrayed. Later color WAS introduced
by the early artists, whose work is nov
reproduced for the first time at the Amer
lean Museum