Hand stencils and prints are the oldest art mankind has made. Right now, the oldest known cave painting is a red hand stencil in Maltravieso cave, Cáceres, Spain. It has been dated to older than 64,000 years and was made by a Neanderthal.
Depictions of hands are pretty universal in early cave paintings all over the world. Which makes sense - because hands are the most accessible object available. No-one can say for certain what, if anything, these prints mean. But what I can say is that their appeal is universal - we immediately recognise hands, and I think it is impossible not to love these stunning stencils from the Cueva de las Manos.
Hands at the Cuevas de las Manos upon Río Pinturas, near the town of Perito Moreno in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina. Picture by Mariano Cecowski
When I look at this picture I see those people in the past, their handprints saying “I was here”.
Today, make your mark using your handprint. Leave it in the sand, on a steamy window, use pigments or paint, and say ‘I was here’.
Freely downloadable desktop wallpaper by effiftengigue on Suwalls: you can find it here
And keep an eye out for hand prints left by others - whether inadvertently or on purpose.
Share pictures of your version of this age-old, universal art using the hashtag #kramerseye on Twitter or Instagram.