World's Earliest Figurative Sculpture Found? Also: T.S. Eliot, Tattoo History And More Arts News

World's Earliest Figurative Sculpture Turns Out To Be Adorable: A "lion man" carved from mammoth ivory is being removed from the British Museum's "Ice Age Art" exhibition after new fragments were found that gave researchers pause. As it turns out, the relic of the ice age dates back about 40,000 years.

In 1939, around 200 fragments of the "lion man" were first discovered in the back of a German cave, leaving 30% of the sculpture's volume unfinished. Now 1,000 more fragments have been discovered, the larger of which are being reintegrated into the sculpture. "It is an enormous 3D puzzle," said the British Museum curator Jill Cook. (The Art Newspaper)

MORE ARTS NEWS:

Never-Before Seen T.S. Eliot Sketch On View: Modernist painter Patrick Heron created two oil painted studies of legendary poet T.S. Eliot, one cubist and one figurative, never before seen by the public. The works are being displayed at the National Portrait Gallery for the first time, showing the complex process of rendering a portrait of a famous poet. (ArtDaily)

Tattoos Making A Mark In Art History: Margot Mifflin's updated version of her book “Bodies of Subversion: A Secret History of Women and Tattoo” is giving tattoo art a cultural rebirth. "Tattoo art is really getting so much recognition as a real fine art these days," said Samantha Sheesley, a paper conservator. (NY Times)

Is Art Theft An Homage? Are art thieves devoted romantics? Greedy, soulless criminals? The Guardian's Jonathan Jones is on the case. (The Guardian)