This is the "Venus of Willendorf" dated 24,000 BC-22,000 BC. Very little is known about The Venus' cultural significance, method of creation or her origin. The Venus is not realistic but rather an idealization of a women's figure. She has large breasts a swollen belly and vulva. Her swollen breasts and belly suggest a strong connection to fertilily. She has no face but it looks as if her hair is covered with something, such as a headdress or plaited hair.
I chose the picture on the right because in todays culutre "The Venus" would be told to lose weight. "The venus" was considered beautiful and a fertilily god. Today many people consider stick thin models and beautiful, and most models that thin are probally unable to bear children. Today's culutre is so warped people people put pressure on women to be thin because they think it is "sexy." This pressure often causes women to lose weight in unhealthy ways, causing many woment to develop eating disorders. The veiws of how women should look have changed drastically over the years. Something that once represented beauty and fertility now would be considered as unhealthy or aestically unappealing.
I really liked how you compared these 2 figures. I believe you really hit the nail on the head when you talked about how the Venus probably was the idealized image of women during that time period. This is true today as well, we see it everywhere. In every TV show, add, you name it, we see it. Very good post!
ReplyDeleteThat is a pretty disturbing image. But a good comparison. Who knows what prehistoric people views on beauty were but it was most likely far different from what we have today
ReplyDeleteThe way you compare the olden days and now is very true and very sad. Today people think skinny is the new beauty, but back then it was more attractive to be curvy. I definitely like what you say in this post.
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