The visual psychology of European Upper Palaeolithic figurative art: using Bubbles to understand outline depictions

A groundbreaking study reveals that the visual system of Homo sapiens influenced the depiction of prey animals in Upper Palaeolithic art, particularly in Portugal's Côa Valley. Researchers used a visual psychological experimental programme called Bubbles to analyze how modern participants identified key anatomical features in horses and bison. They found a striking correspondence between these features and those most emphasized in ancient rock art, suggesting that visual salience drove artistic representation during this period.

Meyering, L.-E., Kentridge, R., & Pettitt, P. (2020). The visual psychology of European Upper Palaeolithic figurative art: using Bubbles to understand outline depictions. World Archaeology, 52(2), 205–222. https://doi.org/10.1080/00438243.2020.1891964