The Dawn of Art

Travel back in time... to the prehistoric world of our ancestors

Humanity’s first masterpiece was created 36,000 years ago in Ardèche, France. Within Chauvet Cave lies thousands of drawings - traces of our past - enclosed forever. The Dawn of Art is a VR experience, including both an immersive film and a virtual visit of the cave that invites you to meet your prehistoric ancestors, the first humans who ventured in a deep subterranean world and left their marks preserved on the walls.

Ignite the ancestral connection between you and your earliest forefathers

Let Daisy Ridley guide you in your discovery of the Chauvet Cave, a Unesco World Heritage Site, considered one the greatest scientific breakthroughs of the XXth century. The Dawn of Art is not just a tour, but a storytelling experience, sparking emotions, and totally immersing you in the past, mirroring the way the First Men were immersed in their painted caves.

"The Dawn of Art" is a trip to the very heart of our origins, where bears were gods...

Immerse yourself in the surroundings of the Chauvet Cave, explore the Horses Fresco up close, and marvel at the drawings coming to life. In this experience, you are one with the ancient world, free to touch the cave wall and explore the cave by torchlight.

Learn more on and download the app Google Arts & Culture Android: IOS:

Brought to you by The Public Union for the Management of the Chauvet Cave, in coproduction with Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Cinéma - Le Lab, with the support of Google Arts & Culture, Région Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Département de l'Ardèche and Ministère de la Culture et de la communication. Line Production: Atlas V / Novelab