The first cave paintings to be discovered and widely known were those in Altamira, Spain, discovered in 1879 and publicized in 1880. The amateur analysis by the discoverer (actually the father of the discoverer), Marcelino Sanz de Sautuola, postulated that they were paleolithic, but that conclusion was criticized by many who regarded the paintings as too new in appearance and too beautiful to be prehistoric.

It wasn't until the early twentieth century when additional cave paintings were discovered that people began to understand that there was a Paleolithic artistic tradition and that these paintings were genuine and in keeping with the time. Since then, sophisticated dating techniques have confirmed the initial conclusion of de Sautuola.

Because there was only the one Spanish example in the nineteenth century - the only widely considered example at the time - there isn't much to discuss. Basically, the view of the Paleolithic was that it was brutish and unsophisticated. The general assumption of the period was that humanity was on a journey of steady progress from primitive to ... us - and that we are the pinnacle of all that wonderful progress and advancement. Anthropologists/archaeologists now understand that people are people, and people can be sophisticated thinkers regardless of the time or cultural context. Those of the Paleolithic weren't waiting for the advancements that would produce "modern man." They were capable of great art, and they developed a sophisticated technology to meet the needs of their situation.