...Venus of Willendorf There have been many theories of the significance of one of the oldest and most famous prehistoric figures, Venus of Willendorf. Archeologists have suggested many different ways of understanding its significance for the society which made it. The first suggestion is that it was a "Venus figure" or "Goddess," used as a symbol of fertility. Apart from being female with an enlarged stomach and breasts, the red ochre pigment covering its pubic area has been thought to symbolize or serve as menstrual blood seen as a life giving agent. The second suggestion is that the figurine may have served as a good luck charm. Its extremely small size led archaeologists to assume that it may have been carried by the men during their hunting missions in which it served not only as a reminder of their mate back at home but also as a charm to bring them success in their hunting. Archaeologists suggest that the facelessness of the figure gives it a mysterious feel and believe that it may have been of more important as an object rather than as a person. Also suggested, the fact that the figure’s hair is braided in seven symbolic circles, seven in later times being regarded as a magic number used to bring about good luck. A third possible significance put forth by archaeologists is that of the figure serving as a mother goddess (earth mother or female deity). They believe that this comes from a suggestion that the statue was a woman whose specialness was indicated in...
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...held a certain level of importance to those of that time. A common statuette, said to be created around 25,000-20,000 B.C.E., is the Venus of Willendorf. One key feature of The Venus of Willendorf is it bulky size. Presenting the idea of an overweight woman she is thought to represent to natives of that time, who were believe to be overweight due to the harsh cold weather of that environment. Another key characteristic of The Venus of Willendorf was her exaggerated sexual private parts. The statue exemplifies her breasts, buttocks and stomach which insinuates thoughts of a pregnant women. Archaeologists and other specialist in this field can only speculate what the cause of this statue and many other artifacts of the ancient world were created to signify. But through research of this particular time in history, many believe the ancient cultures new way of life through farming and the production of food caused them to have a deep respect for life-giving powers. The Venus of Willendorf and other statuettes are thought to have been created to celebrate fertility. Fertility was essential to their culture. Fertility was not only important in the production of food needed to survive but also, and in a larger measure, to the production of children needed to keep their culture and enlarge communities. Citations: undefined. "Venus of Willendorf: Exaggerated Beauty." How art made the World. 22 June 2006. PBS. 9 July...
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...The sculpture of The Nude Woman (Venus of Willendorf) is Paleolithic Art. This sculpture is a tiny 4-inch high figure carved of stone. It is also a female form that is highly abstracted with emphasis on her anatomical parts such as, her breasts large stomach and hips. The sculpture also has small, thin arms that are lay on the breast. The sculpture of Two gypsum statuettes with folded hands (Votive Figures) is Sumerian Art. This sculpture is of two figures of a man and woman with their hands folded in front of their chests in a signal of prayer. The men wear belts and fringed skirts and most men have beards and shoulder-length hair. The women wear long robes, with the right shoulder bare. Comparable figures from other locations have writings,...
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...Artist, in the 15th and 16th centuries in Italy. During the Renaissance, the word Art emerges as a collective term encompassing Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture, a grouping given currency by the Italian artist and biographer Giorgio Vasari in the 16th century. Subsequently, this grouping was expanded to include Music and Poetry which became known in the 18th century as the 'Fine Arts'. These five Arts have formed an irreducible nucleus from which have been generally excluded the 'decorative arts' and 'crafts', such as pottery, weaving, metalworking, and furniture making, all of which have utility as an end. (1) The first art work I compared was sculptures: “Venus of Willendorf” page 409 fig.555 and “Queen Nefertiti” page 415 fig. 564 both are made of limestone. The “Venus of Willendorf “is one color while “Queen Nefertiti” is many different...
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...HUMN303 - DeVry University- April 21, 2013 Venus de Willendorf vs. Barbie With Time, Brings Change HUMN303 - DeVry University- April 21, 2013 Venus de Willendorf vs. Barbie With Time, Brings Change Introduction Venus de Willendorf is a statuette that first appeared during the Upper Paleolithic period. The exaggerated carvings of the body parts were how the artists of that time viewed women, fat and fertile. History often takes from the past to reinvent the future. Today’s society has the Barbie doll. Ruth Handler created it in 1959. Its long legs and slim figure has been worship by so many, that real women have undergone intense cosmetic surgeries to resemble the doll. Both figurines have gained notoriety based on the representation of women of their era, displayed their own meaning of beauty and cultures’ perception of it. Venus de Willendorf Venus de Willendorf, also known as the Woman of Willendorf, is a type of art statuette that was discovered sum 25,000 years ago. It was discovered in 1908 by the banks of the Danube River near the town of Willendorf in Austria during diggings led by Josef Szombathy. The statuette was carved from a rare oolitic (stone eggs) limestone using a flint tool. This particular type of stone was not available in the area it was located in, thus concluding the statuette was not created locally. Standing 4 3/8 inches (11.1 centimeters) tall, the figurine is noticeably rounded. It displays obese and voluptuous women’s body parts. It...
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...have seen so far in class. Although I was unhappy with not being able to visit a museum in person, this assignment was still very educational and personal. I was on a mini vacation right in my own house. The Venus of Willendorf. My first stop was a look at the Venus of Willendorf. She is a statue of a woman about 4.3 inches tall. She was found in 1908. She is a Paleolithic figurine made from carved ivory, wood, and stone. She is the most famous of the Venus figurine during her time. At first glance you see a woman with features that are not pleasing to the eye. She has large breasts, large thighs, and a large stomach. She obviously is pregnant. She has no feet and her face is distorted. I think the face was distorted because they were symbols of fertility or mother goddess not necessary a human. Pregnant women today could defiantly relate to how she looks because most pregnant women may see themselves this way. The Venus of Willendorf was founded in lower Australia. One theory is these statues were meant to be carried. This could explain why archeologist believed where she was found was not the same place she was carved. The women during this period were just not cavewomen. They were inventors, religious leaders, and very good hunters. http://witcombe.sbc.edu/willendorf/willendorfname.html The Statuses of Mut My next stop was Egypt. It was here that I view a bronze statue of a mut. The statuses of Mut or sometimes spell Maut means mother goddess. She is a bronze statue...
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...Image: Cultures Idolizing the Female Form A Comparison and Contrast of the Barbie Doll and Venus de Willendorf Image: Cultures Idolizing the Female Form A Comparison and Contrast of the Barbie Doll and Venus de Willendorf The fact that cultures have idolized the female form in our modern era is not a new concept. Beauty in modern times has been held to the highest standard, but where and why did we get our ideal of beauty? Culture plays a large in role in how beauty is defined, and this is very clear when it pertains to the culture behind both the Venus de Willendorf and the more modern Barbie doll. Clearly, idolizing the female form is an ideal that has existed since the very first centuries that humans walked the earth. Taking a look at the two different cultures that idolize the female form may give us a little bit of insight into the similarities and differences there were between two different society’s composed of very similar beings. The statuette Venus de Willendorf was first discovered in Austria in 1908 by the archaeologist Josef Szombathy. This is the earliest image of a human being known to exist, thought to have been created during the Paleolithic era some 25,000 years ago (Witcombe)! The climate in the region that the statuette was discovered was probably an ice covered land, and therefore, her voluptuous image probably portrays a desire for food and to survive. Humans will always have one thing in common: survival. Whether it is a work of art portraying...
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...In this essay I will compare and contrast two ancient sculptures in the round. The first is Nude Woman, or Venus of Willendorf, from the prehistoric period. The small limestone sculpture was found in modern day Austria and dates to circa 25,000 b.c.e. The second image is Khafre, a life-size Egyptian sculpture made of diorite stone from much later, circa 2,500 b.c.e. Both sculptures contain magical or supernatural symbolism, as well as concepts of life and death. The Venus is probably a votive figure, or offering to the gods. She is abundant, perhaps pregnant, probably to symbolize fertility and to bring good fortune in the fields and in human reproduction. Little is known about the sculpture, but life at this time must have been a struggle for survival and she represents the core of the cycle of life. Khafre is a "Ka" statue, meant to be buried with the mummified body of the king of which he is a portrait. It is to serve as a back-up to the mummy to offer a place for the Ka, or soul, to reside at night. The portrait also helps the Ka recognize its residence and body. Most Egyptian art focused on permanence and the afterlife such as this one. Whereas Venus is probably an offering to the gods and a symbol of life to an entire culture, Khafre is meant to retain the individual man's soul and help him travel to and from the...
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...taking an art appreciation class. My personal view before I took this class was that art is subjective to whoever is viewing it. There were absolutely beautiful paintings and portraits that undeniably could be viewed by all and all would be amazed by the artists work. However I held the view that why is it that if someone dips a paintbrush in paint and flicks the brush at a canvas and does this with multiple colors it could be considered a masterpiece. One can walk down the main hallway in Green Hall and a few of the paintings that come to mind as more simplistic paintings. However, this class helped me to understand that that art is not about a picture, but the interpretation of that picture. Sculptures like that of David or the Venus of Willendorf were direct reflections of the cultural way of thinking when they were made. The same apply to paintings. One must not just look at a picture and see the colors or the obvious design in the painting but rather must apply a philosophical approach to viewing that piece of art and see how that artwork not only affects how our current culture views the culture in which the art was made but also can change the way in which we view the world. This class actually has helped me look at many thing s in a whole new...
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...Another amazing part about the human figure is not only are we observing the way a body looks, but also we are feeling the emotions that these characters are portraying. This is what makes human figure so fascinating. In the following essay I will be selecting fifteen examples of the human body in art. One of the oldest sculptures discovered to date, was carved using simple stone tools. It is a tiny limestone figurine of a woman named the Venus of Willendorf. This sculpture was named after its find spot in Willendorf Austria. It is said that the Venus of Willendorf was made anywhere between 28,000 and 25,000 BCE, and the artist is unknown. The sculpture is tiny, and features anatomical exaggeration. It typifies Paleolithic representations of women, whose childbearing capabilities ensuring the survival of the species. Women were far more common subjects then men in sculptures, however, animals not humans, dominate Paleolithic art. During this time period, humans were not painted or sculpted to look realistic. [pic] (Venus of Willendorf) The Snake Goddess was found in the palace of Knossos and was created around 1600 BCE by an unknown...
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...Art Hisrory 181-01 February 3, 2014 “Woman from Willendorf” is a tiny statue that is quite important icon from the prehistory. It came from the time period 28,000-25,000 BCE. Another name for it is “Nude Women of Willendolf”. Lime stone is a soft stone in which the Women was made of. One of the first few thoughts about this statue was made thinking of it as a goddess, meaning fertility or abundance. Besides the fact of being female, the statue has a large stomach and breasts, its pubic area is greatly emphasized. Possibly serving as a representative of procreativity. The second thought is that it may have been used as a good luck charm. Its minute size may have led archaeologists to assume that it could have been carried during hunting by the men. With this possibility, it might have served not only as a reminder of their mate back at home but also as a charm to bring them success in their hunting. This is additionally supported by the facelessness of the figurine giving it mystery and anonymity that means that it may have been of more importance as an object rather than as a person. The statue’s hair looks like it could be braided in seven circles, seven in later times being viewed as a magic number used to bring forward good luck. A third possible importance shared is that of the figurine serving as a mother goddess, for example, mother earth and just a female mother in general. This comes from a proposition that the statue was a woman whose specialness...
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...different eras It is surprising how different female body sculptures from different ancient civilizations are. The diverse forms of human body also embody many different functions and meanings. In art, naked figures reflect a very complex set of formal ideals, philosophical concerns, and cultural traditions. In this essay I would like to compare two sculptures of nude women. The first one is the Venus of Willendorf which was built in Paleolithic Period. Another is called the Venus of Milo carved in ancient Greece. The female body of the Venus of Willendorf depicts enlarged breasts, buttocks and genital, which represents fertility, while the body of Venus of Milo, on the other hand, demonstrates beauty and perfect proportions. Despite the difference characteristics and styles between them, they both represent the different view of the perfect female form. The most widely known female figurine, the Venus of Willendorf, with only 11cm in height, is possibly the smallest female nude sculpture we know. It is one of the most obese representations of the Paleolithic statuary. The Venus of Willendorf can be dated back to approximately the Paleolithic period, around 28,000 to 25,000 BCE. According to some analysis, it was obvious that it had once been “painted with red ochre”, a symbolic substance commonly found in connection with burials and grave goods from the same time period. It was made of Oolitic limestone. Her thighs are also large and pressed together down on the knees. The thin...
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...Week 7Final Paper KIKi DeVry University Professor Mccabe Humanities October, 2013 The Paleolithic era was considered an era where women were strong and not judged on physical appearance. Back then the central thought dominating the society was the thought of survival and reproduction and the Paleolithic women played a very important part in that. If one has to look at a Venus de Willendorf Doll, the first thing that would be noticed is the size of the woman. The woman is robust and is without clothing or a face; this doll was made like this to show how little the importance of physical appearance was back then, when everyone was striving for survival. These dolls are not just pieces of art but they represent the history of women before our time, and they reveal to the modern society that the things which are important to us like appearance, fame, and fortune actually do not matter; but that the important thing is to protect one’s family and survive against all odds. Now- a-days it is the complete opposite. Instead of dolls that look like the Venus de Willendorf Doll, we have Barbie Dolls. The problem with this is the fact that Barbie Dolls have created a lot of problems for children. Barbie Dolls infused in young girls unrealistic expectations for life; it made girls think they had to look, live, and act in a certain way which is acceptable to the society. Barbie Dolls were made to be teen fashion dolls but little did the manufacturers know that they would change...
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...HUM303 Sample Outline Format for the Course Project Venus de Willendorf VS. Barbie I. This section of the research paper will aim to establish an understanding of the differences in culture from the Paleolithic era to the contemporary society. This will also serve to identify the reasons for conducting research on the given subject area. Moreover, this section will also inculcate the idea of contrasting the cultural differences by way of analyzing art and 'idols' from both the times, the Paleolithic culture's Venus de Willendorf with today's ideal woman which is Barbie. Additionally, also briefly highlight the fact that even though today's contemporary society and its values do not in any way resemble the values and hierarchy of the pre historic period of our history; there remain some similarities, which commonly manifest as 'instincts.' A. Throughout the ages, what is considered beautiful in woman has varied. B. I think as the world evolves more, the choices of many begin to change. I think that most people now days prefer Barbie over Venus de Willendorf because Barbie is the ideal dream girl. II. The Paleolithic culture existed at a time commonly known as the pre historic period of our history which is marked by the development of the first ever traces of “technology,” that is the age when the rough and primitive tools made of stone were invented. A. We will talk about how people back then viewed women and what their views were. i. Women, back then, were known...
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...IB Dipolma Extended Essay “30,000 Years of Big Women, What caused the Modern Mortification of the Female Form?” Sarah Martino Candidate Number: 000193-0076 South Side High School 2013 Word Count: 3,002 Number of Pages: 14 Abstract: The goal of this essay is to address the changes in the female form in art throughout time. This topic is obviously pertains to the subject of visual arts as the main focus of this essay is evaluating the aesthetics of the female form through examples of artwork. Many research questions were considered but the one chosen was: “30,000 Years of Big Women, What Caused the Modern Mortification of the Female Form?” To answer this question, I chose a piece of artwork for numerous time periods that included the female form. First researching background information about the artist and the time period and then relating it to why the piece was constructed in that way. Through much research and meetings with individuals who are familiar in this subject matter, I was able to develop an argument, which demonstrated the changes in female form for various reasons. Table of Contents Page 1- Title Page Page 2- Abstract Page 3- Table of Contents Page 4- Essay Page 14- Bibliography Page 15- Table of Images The Cyclades, are a group of Greek islands, of the Aegean Sea, were home to the Cycladic Civilization, which lasted from about 3200 BC- 1100BC. This time period is broken up by historians into the early Cycladic...
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