Research

Gilles TOSELLO

Prehistorian specialising in cave art

Gilles Tosello holds a degree in graphic art and a PhD in Prehistory. Gilles Tosello's research relates to palaeolithic art (his PhD thesis from the University of Paris was published in 2003). He works in the two major decorated caves in the Pyrenees: Le Tuc d’Audoubert and Marsoulas (14 to 15,000 years old). Gilles Tosello is especially interested in the formal and stylistic analysis of Palaeolithic art. By gathering formal data, and establishing the geographical and chronological layout, he defines the human geography of the late European Palaeolithic. In his workshop in Toulouse, as an artist and prehistorian, he is painting the famous horse panel covering 44 m² with charcoal, consisting of 50 figures, and the large lion fresco (70 m²).

He has been a member of the scientific team since it was set up in 1998, and takes part in the research on cave art. Together with Carole Fritz, he has worked in the Cactus Gallery, the Red Panel Gallery, where they took over from Norbert Aujoulat, and then in the horse sector in the Hillaire Chamber. His current research is oriented around analysing the walls in the Skull Chamber.

Contributions

Mammoth engraved on the vault,Engraved Ibex,Bison on the corner,Spitting Rhinoceros,Horse of the Passage,Three, four or five lions,Panel of the Red Bear,Graphic expression,The floor,Cactus Gallery,Panther Panel,Panel of Positive Hand Prints,Large Red Rhinoceros,Panel of Negative Hand Prints,Reindeer Panel,Alcove of the Lions,Panel of the Horses,Rhinoceros Alcove,Bison of the Pillar,Mammoth Pendant,Bears at height,Brown Painted Mammoth,Black Mammoth and Feline,Panel of the Red Signs,"Butterfly" Sign,Panel of Hand Dots,Red Mammoth,Feline Head,Feline,Positive Hand Prints,Hand Dots,Rhinoceros Frieze,ω-shaped signs,Fine engravings,Niche of the Little Bear,Red paintings,Pendant and Small Cupola,Distribution of cave art techniques,Composed Panels