Essay Venus of Willendorf - 682 Words

The Venus of Willendorf Ever since the beginning of the Stone Age around 25,000 B.C. and throughout the late classical period in 400 B.C., we can infer and see that both men and women have been portrayed in many ways when viewing particular cultures around the time period. The representation of the female body can be seen through numerous pieces of Art. Ladies and Gentleman the figurine in front of you is called â€Å"The Venus of Willendorf†, and it is the oldest female figurine statuette. It most likely symbolizes female fertility. Now some of you may be wondering why this figurine is half naked. The reason for this again ties back to the cultures of Mesopotamia. Multiple Mespopotamian related cultures seem to have made this†¦show more content†¦I believe that the stomach was actually used to show pregnancy, and portrays the woman as a maternal figure, or simply, â€Å"Mother Earth.† The Venus of Willendorf was found in 1908 by a workman named â€Å"Johann Veran† (Selen). It was found by archeologists at a Paleolithic site. Here at the Naturhistorisches Museum in Vienna, Austria, we have the only authentic Venus Figurine (Naturhistorisches Museum Wien). The artifact’s purpose is still being speculated by many. But from what I can infer, the figurine was used a a maternal figure, and it shows the richness of female fertility. It portrayed the woman as being the care giver of life, and it showed her as something everyone looked up to, either for riturals or as a figurine of fertility. She may have been the Goddess of life; a status similar to â€Å"Mother Earth.†. However, I believe that the purpose of ti was to show woman what their capabilities were, and it seemed to focus on the strengths that they possessed and what their functions in society were. In this case, the large breasts, stomach, and hips (Selen). It potentially was used to symbolize new life, or maybe even a new beginning. Now if you focus on this statuette you will notice that it’s roughly only about 4 inches long. The statuette is named the â€Å"Venus of Willendorf† after Willendorf, Austria, where she was found, and the name â€Å"Venus† was named after the ancient Roman Goddess of LoveShow MoreRelatedThe Venus Willendorf and Laussel1293 Words   |  6 PagesThe Venus Willendorf and Laussel During the Upper Paleolithic era artists created a wide range of small sculptures. These sculptures were made from various materials, including ivory, bone, clay, and even stone. They represented humans, as well as animals; they even combined them at times. Most of the sculptures from this time show a high level of skill. From this time, there were two very influential sculptures, The Venus of Willendorf and the Venus of Laussel. This paper will discuss bothRead MoreThe Venus of Willendorf Formal Analysis Essay1409 Words   |  6 PagesThe Venus of Willendorf is one of the oldest and most famous early images of a human. 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OriginallyRead MoreThe Prevalence Of The Power Of Women1264 Words   |  6 Pagesanalyzation of well known ancient art sculptures, such as The Venus of Willendorf that is on display at the Vienna Museum of Natural History in Austria, to the later Figure of Isis-Aphrodite that can be found at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC, the advancement of appreciation and awareness of the capabilities of female can be clearly extracted and observed. Overseas in Austria, you can find the sculpture of The Venus of Willendorf, which is dated back to about 24,000-22,000 BC, being inclusiveRead MoreComparing The Chacmool With The Woman Of Willendorf1820 Words   |  8 PagesTAJH RAY Art 150-501 Fall 2016 Research Paper Prof. D Gaffney mars and venus: comparing the chacmool with the woman of willendorf Modern figurines of art stem directly from the hands of the ancient’s. The organic forms of modernly sculpted artifacts can most likely be directly referenced to the movements of prehistoric artworks. 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The choice to use a female figure is important because of the inherent themes it represents;Read MoreThe Discovery Of A Human, A Woman, By Archaeologist Josef Szombathy930 Words   |  4 Pagesso-called Venus of Willendorf, found in 1908 by the archaeologist Josef Szombathy in a terrace about 30 meters above the Danube river near the town of Willendorf, Austria. The statue, which measures about 11.1 centimeters in length, is now in a muse. It was carved from a fine porous limestone not found in the region and so must have been brought to the area from another location. It must have travelled a great distance before hibernating for centuries. When first discovered the Venus of Willendorf wasRead More Polykleitos’ Bearer and Laocoon and His Sons Essay1812 Words   |  8 Pageswhole and there is also a pile of dirt located on the ground. Unlike imperial procession this painting has a little bit more feeling. I believe that people can relate more to it and it is more religious. Head of King from Ife and Woman from Willendorf Her head is made of brass. The height is 11 7/10. it was discovered in 1910 In place of her hair she has whole where her hair should have been. Her entire face has lines that you can feel. The areas around and under the eyes have a bit of anRead MoreRole of Women in the Paleolithic and Modern Period1591 Words   |  7 Pagestheir body image; however the way the males have treated these women showed little respect. During the Paleolithic period a sculpture was carved from using simple carving tools to create a masterpiece that is known today as the Venus of Willendorf. The Venus of Willendorf has suggested to archeologists that the sculpture was to have been an image of fertility, which is how their existence survived for so many years. Looking at the sculpture also indicates that the Paleolithic women were more on