I think in the case of Lascaux it's more than just the use of color to show different planes.
Aerial perspective - "In addition, we note that the hooves in the foreground are more accomplished – their cleft mature is visible – than those in the background, for which the drawing is limited to an outline. We note the simplification of lines based on the relative distance of the viewer from the various elements in the scene."
And then to foreshortening, you can see the bison on the right in particular is illustrated in such a way that the hind quarters are abnormally smaller than the front of the animal. Further, the artist is making use of the contours of the cave wall to amplify the effect - "The choice of the location of this panel contributes to the illusion of an explosion of the diptych's elements. To heighten the effect, the artists chose a wall with a very obtuse angle, and painted a bovine on each plane. Additionally, we can see that the wall is not vertical but leans forward. The corbel created by this position strengthens the illusion that the image is falling towards the viewer below."
Not bad for a bunch of Neanderthals. :) Chauvet cave would be another example, I think.
Some further reading on them, in these examples the foreshortening aspects are mentioned, though I'm sure there are more/better sources of material with some searching:
This following quote is from a read you may find quite interesting:
"It was not until the Renaissance that artists in the West, after a long apprenticeship, routinely drew with such realistic perspective, as did the Aurignacian [paleolithic] artists. "
If you mean the one here[0], the back legs don't seem forshortened to me, at all. That's what bison look like! Huge at the front, small at the back.[1]
> Not bad for a bunch of Neanderthals.
I think ancient cave painting is truly amazing. I just don't remember ever seeing a painting with foreshortening, i.e. what "perspective" usually means in visual art.
> from a read you may find quite interesting
Mostly about how a brain-damaged girl's drawings look like ancient cave art?! Oh, seems it's from a psychiatric journal. And just reading someone's (apparently a psychiatrist's) words about how it's perspective isn't the same as actually seeing it for myself.
Thanks for reminding me about that great site Stone Age Cave Painting, I spent hours on there once before!
Aerial perspective - "In addition, we note that the hooves in the foreground are more accomplished – their cleft mature is visible – than those in the background, for which the drawing is limited to an outline. We note the simplification of lines based on the relative distance of the viewer from the various elements in the scene."
And then to foreshortening, you can see the bison on the right in particular is illustrated in such a way that the hind quarters are abnormally smaller than the front of the animal. Further, the artist is making use of the contours of the cave wall to amplify the effect - "The choice of the location of this panel contributes to the illusion of an explosion of the diptych's elements. To heighten the effect, the artists chose a wall with a very obtuse angle, and painted a bovine on each plane. Additionally, we can see that the wall is not vertical but leans forward. The corbel created by this position strengthens the illusion that the image is falling towards the viewer below."
Not bad for a bunch of Neanderthals. :) Chauvet cave would be another example, I think.
Some further reading on them, in these examples the foreshortening aspects are mentioned, though I'm sure there are more/better sources of material with some searching:
https://mindfuldrawing.com/2019/08/07/crossed-bison-of-lasca...
https://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/arts/visual/prehisto...
http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/prehistoric/cave-painting.ht...
This following quote is from a read you may find quite interesting:
"It was not until the Renaissance that artists in the West, after a long apprenticeship, routinely drew with such realistic perspective, as did the Aurignacian [paleolithic] artists. "
https://jamanetwork.com/HttpHandlers/ArticlePdfHandler.ashx?...
Also, an awesome podcast episode on cave art:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000mqn7