The Venus of Willendorf
(click on image for a larger view)
Earlier this year we learned that the small sculpture known as The Venus of Willendorf was, until recently, the oldest known piece of sculpture in existence. A number of other "Venus" sculptures of similar age have been found, some even older. Today, you will do a bit of research about these sculptures in preparation for your next project.
Your next project will be to create a small "Prehistoric Venus" sculpture. You will be using the "subtractive" method, carving your sculpture from a block of plaster.
Assignment for today: do some digging around online to find information about the Venus of Willendorf and other similar prehistoric "Venus" sculptures. Look for written information, and also for pictures. Then, answer the questions below by making a "comment" on this blog post.
To "comment", scroll to the bottom of this post and click on the words "Post a Comment". A window will pop up. Where it says "Choose an identity", select "Name/URL". Write your name in the box next to "Name". (You do not need a URL.) Then, where it says "Leave your comment", type the answers to the questions. Fill in the word verification box, and then press the button for "Publish Your Comment".
Note: if you do not have enough time to answer all then questions below, you may finish this assignment at home tonight (or a.s.a.p. if you were absent today). Also, you will be receiving a handout sheet for your plaster sculpture assignment-- it will have some pictures of Venus sculptures on it, but you might want to print some of your own here in the computer lab or at home.
Questions:
1. Who was Venus?
2. When was the Venus of Willendorf made?
3. Who made the Venus of Willendorf?
4. Why is it called The Venus of Willendorf?
5. There are a number of other prehistoric Venus sculptures. What is the general range of dates during which these sculptures were made? (example: 500 BC - 200 BC)
6. Look up another prehistoric "Venus" sculpture (similar to the Venus of Willendorf). Compare and contrast: what are the similarities and differences? Be specific.
7. Select another similar prehistoric sculpture, and once again compare and contrast.
8. Why are these prehistoric figurines (small sculptures) referred to as "Venus" sculptures?
9. What do the "experts" think the purpose of these sculptures was?
10. What do YOU think think the purpose of these sculptures was? Do you think they meant to be erotic or "sexy", or do you think they were made for some other reason or purpose?
9 comments:
1. "Venus" is a general name for small statues of women fromdifferent cultures, all portrayed after Venus, the Roman goddess of beauty.
2.The Venus of Willendorf was carbon-dated to be 24000-26,000years old.
3. The creator of the Venus of Willendorf hasn't been identified, but it was found by Josef Szombathy.
4. She is called the Venus of Willendorf because it states the history of the location where she wasfound.
5. The figurines were all created 11,000-35,000 years ago.
6.Venus of Willendorf vs. Venus of Hohle Fels
Similarities: over-exaggerated features(breasts, belly, thighs,pelvis), smaller heads, little or no facial features
Differences:size,height, the way the statues hold themselves, materials used to make them.
7.Venus of Willendorf vs. Venus of Lespugue
Similarities: over-exaggerated female features (buttocks, breasts, thighs, hips), small head, no facial features, thin arms
Differences: body posture, materials made with, positioning of the breasts, and the Venus of Lespugue has a small skirt hanging below her hips.
8. These figurines are referred to as "Venus sculptures" because they represent the ancient race's ideals of beauty.
9."Experts" believe these figurines represent fertility, childbirth, womanhood, and beauty.
10. I think these sculptures were meant to represent the value ancient societies held of their women and the services they provided with carrying and having children. The figures are neither erotic nor sexy, but portray the real beauty and endurance women have when it comes to life, children, and childbirth.
1. she was a goddess. in greek Aphrodite.
2. carved about 25,000 years ago.
3. they don't know.
4. to show fertility, or a "good luck charm."
5. 30,000 to 25,000 BC
6. venus of willendorf has more of a rounder shape, the chest hangs down as the other one is up. they both have big hips.
7. they have big hips and a big chest. but venus of tantan has less shape.
8. shows old beauty
9. anthropologists say she is a cult figure, probably representing fertility.
10. I think it is to represent someone having a baby.
1. "venus" refures to a small figurine of a woman.
2. Venus of Willendorf has been estimated to have been made between 24,000 and 22,000 BC.
3. Venus of Willendorf was made by an unknown artist but discovered by Josef Szombathy
4. The figurine is called Venus of Willendorf refuring to a Roman goddess of love and the location in Australia in which it was found.
5. Generally venus sculptures were created in 20,000 BC.
6. The original venus sculpture is a very rounded figure, small and overall plumb while other
figurines tend to be a larger size and just distinguished in female elements. However they both tend to illustrate big portions on a womens body.
7. Some other prehistoric sculptures are slimmer in the torso in and thighs, while bigger in the breast and butt as is the venus sculpture, however the original venus sculpure is generously big all around.
8. Prehistoric figurines are referred to as "venus" after the Roman goddess of love.
9. The "experts" think the purpose of these figurines were to express what was then considered beautiful.
10. Women who were larger propotions were considered sexy back then. These sculptures to me represent the beauty found in a woman
1.Venus was the Roman goddess of love.
2.Between 24,000 and 22,000 BCE.
3.A group of australians made it.
4.The figure was named after a model already over fifty years old,that share simliarthings about them.
5. About 1000 BCE
6.Most venus sculptures are made of different types of ivory. Also most of them have somthing to do with a obese woman. The difference is that the artist designs each sculpture in a different way.
7.The venus sculpture and the Ayn Ghazal sculpture is similar because they both focus on the body. They are different because ayn uses stone more in all of his creations and in the venus sculpture there is alot of use of ivory.
8.The artist maybe thinks that its sexy and its a form of art.
9.To maybe show there is art in everything.
10.I think that the artist had a interest in makeing art out of different types of body forms.
1. Venus was the ancient Roman goddess of love and beauty.
2.The Venus of Willendorf was made around 25,000 B.C
3.The sculpture was likely made by Austrian nomadic hunters and gaters
4. It was named this because it was found near Willendorf Austria and the term venus to describ a goddess figure as a symbol of fertility.
5. 33,000-20,00 BCE
6.The Venus of Hohle Fels is similar in the exageration of tthe female body,but the Venus of Willendorf has a larger head and is more pear shaped
7. In the Venus oof Laussel, the figurine is not as three dimensional but is engraved in limestone,but like the Venus of Wallendorf, it has similar characteristics like exagerrated hips and breasts.
8.Named fom the roman goddesses of beauty.
9. It was believed the sculptures were made to show fertility.
10. I dont think the sculptures were meant to be erotic but more of a way to show what was considered at the time to be beautiful.
1.The roman goddess of love and beauty.
2.Around 24000-22000 BC.
3.It was most likely made by hunter-gatherers who lived in the area at the time.
4.It was found near the town of Willendorf in Austria.
5.Between 31,000 and 9,000 years ago.
6.The Venus of Dolní Věstonice is made of clay while the other is made of limestone,the features are very exaggerated, the heads are small and they have no feet or hands.
7.The Venus of Hohle Fels has a really tiny head and a really large body, it has no feet but looks like there might be hands and fingers, it was sculpted from a mammoth tusk.
8.Because sculptures of naked women are sometimes called venus sculptures.
9.Some people think they are emblems of a goddess religion, or representations of fertility, beauty or pregnant women.
10.I think they we made to just be pieces of art, not necessarily accurate representations of women but maybe they're exaggerated because that was considered beautiful.
1) Venus is a goddess and is represented in a small sculpture of a woman.
2) It said to be around 24,000 years old.
3) Josef Szombathy discovered her.
4) She is called the Venus of Wilendorf due to its location of where it was found.
5) The venus figures were all created around 20,000 Bc
6) Venus of Willendor similarities to other venus figures: Both have short, cut off arms and little clothing. Differences: Venus of Willendorf is more rounded with less details.
7) Other sculptures look slimmer with more detail compared to Willendorf. The postures are also different and their is more posing making it look more realistic. Similarites are that they have exaggerated female features and small arms.
8) it is referred to as Venus sculptures because it represents what each culture perceives as beautiful.
9) experts think the purpose was to show what women represent and their beauty.
10)I think the sculptures were meant to represent the importance and beauty of women in each society, showing the beauty of life that a women can give. I do not think it was meant to be erotic.
1. Venus is a general name for small statues of women fromdifferent cultures, all portrayed after Venus, the Roman goddess of beauty.
2.The Venus of Willendorf was carbon-dated to be 24000-26,000years old.
3. The creator of the Venus of Willendorf hasn't been identified, but it was found by Josef Szombathy.
4. She is called the Venus of Willendorf because it states the history of the location where she wasfound.
5. The figurines were all created 11,000-35,000 years ago.
6.Venus of Willendorf vs. Venus of Hohle Fels
Similarities: over-exaggerated features breasts, belly, thighs,pelvis, smaller heads, little or no facial features
Differences:size,height, the way the statues hold themselves, materials used to make them.
7.Venus of Willendorf vs. Venus of Lespugue
Similarities: over-exaggerated female features butt breasts, thighs, hips small head, no facial features, thin arms
Differences: body posture, materials made with, positioning of the breasts, and the Venus of Lespugue has a small skirt hanging below her hips.
8. These figurines are referred to as "Venus sculptures" because they represent the ancient race's ideals of beauty.
9.Experts believe these figurines represent fertility, childbirth, womanhood, and beauty.
10. these sculptures are to show how men and others looked at women. In no sense do i feel its sexy. Artists always exaggerate features, espeacily with women. its and art that was created and has been perfected and evolved in the world of art.
1. Who was Venus? Venus is a Roman goddess principally associated with love, beauty, sex, fertility, prosperity and military victory.
2. When was the Venus of Willendorf made? Estimated to have been made between 24,000 and 22,000 BCE.
3. Who made the Venus of Willendorf? The creator was not mention but it was founded by archaeologist Josef Szombathy at a paleolithic site near Willendorf.
4. Why is it called The Venus of Willendorf? It was named Willendorf because of where it was founded.
5. There are a number of other prehistoric Venus sculptures. What is the general range of dates during which these sculptures were made? (example: 500 BC - 200 BC) They were all created 15,000-25,000 years ago.
6. Look up another prehistoric "Venus" sculpture (similar to the Venus of Willendorf). Compare and contrast: what are the similarities and differences? Be specific. Venus de Milo, doesn’t resemble your typical venus sculpture in any way. Its more lifelike and favors your typical human. The venus of willendorf had over exaggerated characteristics and didn’t resemble people.
7. Select another similar prehistoric sculpture, and once again compare and contrast. Venus Genetrix, is also very different from the venus. Unlike the rest of them this one has clothing.
8. Why are these prehistoric figurines (small sculptures) referred to as "Venus" sculptures? There referred to as venus sculptures because the represent different cultures forms of beauty.
9. What do the "experts" think the purpose of these sculptures was? The purpose of these sculptures was to let us know beauty comes in various shapes and sizes.
10. What do YOU think the purpose of these sculptures was? Do you think they meant to be erotic or "sexy", or do you think they were made for some other reason or purpose? They were made to show off the various forms of beauty, which is at the eye of the beholder.
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