Female figure on a pebble
Courbet Cave, Penne-Tarn, France
Stone
Height: 9 cms
The British Museum
Palart.516
The natural form of this river pebble suggested a female profile. This suggestive shape is evident either way up. As shown here, the pebble suggests the upper trunk and buttocks with the inward curve below the buttocks and the legs produced by a break on one side of the stone and deliberate chipping on the other. It is a good example of the artist’s ability to appreciate the potential of natural shapes. One break and the removal of a few flakes created a female representation.