The Venus of Willendorf: A Prehistoric Artwork
The Venus of Willendorf is a prehistoric piece of art that stands out today (Figure 1). The sculpture is thought to be the most well-known portable piece of art from the Paleolithic era. The artwork, made of oolithic limestone, is about 11 cm long and depicts a naked woman, which explains why it has been dubbed the Woman of Willendorf. Around 1908, Joseph Szomnathy uncovered the artwork while doing archeological work in the Austrian town of Willendorf. The artwork is now on display at the Naturhistorisches Museum in Vienna. This paper reflects on the art of Venus of Willendorf. In particular, the paper will look into the period when the art was created, its relevance to the society and what inferences can be made from the art.
The Use of Arts for Expression During the Prehistoric Period
During the prehistoric period, people utilized different forms of media to express themselves. Key of the methodologies was the use of different types of arts. Prehistoric humans were not civilized and were limited in the options of expressing themselves. Therefore, with no writing capability, the people relied on different kinds of arts to express themselves. Most artworks during the prehistoric period were carvings from ivory, bones and stones. The media for expression are different from the ones available in the contemporary world. Of the various methods of expressions, stone carvings were the most preferred by the artists of that time as it enabled the creation of sculptures of different shapes. The use of arts, especially carvings as a media of expression is reflected in the Venus of Willendorf.
The Venus of Willendorf: A Representative of the Prehistoric Stone Age
The Venus of the Willendorf represents a portable form of art that was famous during the prehistoric period. Such objects were mainly made from stones, bones or ivory and were often used for purposes such as spears or some form of ritual. Popular among the figurines created during this period are sculptures of humans, animals or other things that were found in nature. For human figurines, as elaborated by Birx, the dominant sculptures were those of woman, popularly christened Venuses by the archaeologist during their discovery. Many discoveries took place in Africa, which is believed to be the cradle of humankind. Based on this, the Venus of Willendorf is representative of the prehistoric Stone Age period.
The Features and Symbolism of the Venus of Willendorf
The name Venus of Willendorf is derived from the nature of the sculpture, especially in its portrayal of the shape of a woman. Similar to many sculptures of the women during the prehistoric period, the artwork is faceless and relatively fat with a focus on the feminine features such as the breasts. The hips and the stomach of the woman portrayed in the artwork are pronounced while the wrists bear bracelets. The artist who made the artwork focused on the braided hair, which is consistent with the woman of today's world. Through this, it is apparent that the quest for beauty did not start in recent times. The braids of the woman were created in such a way that they appear wrapped in seven concentric bands. Another significant feature of the art worth mentioning is the painting with a red ochre. This shows that the materials used in its creation were not drawn from the locality where it was found.
The Representation of Women in the Venus of Willendorf
According to Kleiner, the creator of the Venus of Willendorf did not intend to portray a specific woman. However, the intention was to portray the woman form due to the disproportional way in which he represented the body of women in the artwork. A careful look at the artwork will show that the arms are smaller than the large breasts. It is uncommon for a woman to have shorter arms compared to the breasts unless it is a case of abnormality. Another feature of woman that the carver of the sculpture did not forget to include is the pubic triangle. This affirms that the artist was inclined to revealing the defining features of a woman. Therefore, through the sculpture, it is apparent that during the prehistoric period, humans could represent the form of women.
Interpretations of the Venus of Willendorf
The Venus figurines, especially the Willendorf, have been interpreted to confer different meanings as well as information about the perceptions of the humans who lived in the ancient times. While some perceive the sculpture to be a representation of attractiveness, others view it as representative of a goddess who conferred fertility to humans. Consistent with other Venuses around the time it was created, the Venus of Willendorf depicted a fat woman, having the feminine features pronounced. The sculpture is a woman who looks pregnant considering the size of the stomach relative to the rest of the body. The breasts are crafted to be full which is synonymous with those of women within the birth-giving age-bracket. The hips are also well-sculpted in an affirmation of a truly feminine body and by extension fertility.
The Attractiveness of the Venus of Willendorf
Another interpretation of the Venus of Willendorf is attractiveness. The Woman of Willendorf only reveals the parts of the body of a woman that attract men. The fullness of the breasts is one of the features that are attractive to a woman. Though faceless, the woman's hair is braided. Braiding is one of the beauty enhancing processes that women, even today, add to their body. The sculptor of the woman wanted to portray the attractiveness of a woman. This confirms that the ancient man had perceptions about the beauty of a woman. On the other hand, the women were also aware of their beauty and how it can be enhanced. The hair of the woman is done, which is indicative of being in the know of beauty and what attracts men. A keen look at the hair shows that it is covered with a net, which may be indicative of bad hair days, as is the case today.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Venus of Willendorf is a representation of many aspects of the perception and capability of a man during the prehistoric period. Sculpturing dominated the art industry during the time, as indicated by the works of many scholars. The woman of Willendorf is believed to be a portrayal of fertility and attractiveness of the woman. Through the limestone, the artistic capability of early is apparent. It is indisputable that the man understood what a woman is regarding the physical attributes.
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