At first look at the Venus of Willendorf it is a hard think this is beautiful. Knowing in society today something like this figure is not appealing to the masses. But I feel this little figure describes beauty in so many ways. I learned a little about her in my first art history class. Looking at her a second time I am finding different things about this figure I didn't know before. I know she was said to be carried around kinda like a lucky charm for women to have good fertility. I found it interesting the different details on the figure had so many reason to why it might have been made that way. For example the Venus not having any feet, it could be that it was so she wouldn't walk away or that women don't need to have feet to be fertile. Going into the actual blog questions now, the reason we should talk about the Venus even though we know so little about her is because we are able to look into the past and see what they have done. Maybe she is what they era thought was beautiful, maybe she was what the women actually looked like. Though we don't know a lot about the Venus doesn't mean we can't get ideas or try to figure out ourselves what she was for. For me I think that if we look at this figure and become open minded to why she was created the way she was that she would become something amazing. I look at her and I want to figure her out. She shows the first signs of human curiosity about ourselves. The word Venus I think was used because it has a sexuality to the figure, a very open sexuality. The reason the term Venus is so problematic is because Venus was never thought of as very sexual, everything about this figure is just out there in the open and for a lot people that was not what the Venus was about. Venus was tasteful in sexuality and in love. As for the Venus of Willendorf everything about her from her chest to her bum are enlarged. Venus of Willendorf was nothing like the perfect Venus in all the works of art from the Renaissance era. In the article The Venus of Willendorf that is online, I feel the beauty of the figure comes from the understanding that she looks more fat then pregnant. The figure meaning that she was a lucky woman who didn't have the many tasks of hunting and gathering. If people carried her around for good luck that meant in some way they wanted to be like her. The figure was beautiful to them and a sign of hope of a good life of leisure. In today's society the wanted look is some Photoshop woman on a magazine. I feel that if the article is true about the woman wanting to look like this fatter woman, that our views today have changed quiet a bit. It is sad to think that no one thinks the way they did back then. In today's world bigger is not better, beauty is looking like you are half dead. Beauty should instead be full of life.
Hi Laura,
ReplyDeleteWhat you said about not knowing the meaning or purpose behind this figurine makes you interested in art. For me, I think that this is the enigma of art, and it is what keeps art interesting as well. I absolutely love drawing in my spare time, (however, very little time is devoted to drawing during the academic year) and creating art that leaves someone wondering why it was made the way it was made. I like hearing what other people have to say about a same piece of art, because it allows me to realize another perspective that initially may not have been as clear or clear at all. Do you think that since there are different perspectives, do you think that there becomes one that perspective or opinion that sticks out and kind of becomes a stereotype of each piece of art?
Hi Laura. I think it's interesting that you think we should talk about this sculpture because we are "able to look into the past and see what they have done." Isn't it interesting that today we value what happened in past? This interest in history (and in the past in general) is something that is part of our culture, but it isn't a universal idea. Not all cultures were interested in looking to the past and understanding what happened in previous time periods. And who knows? Maybe in the future our culture will decide to reject this interest in the past. I don't think it will happen in our lifetime (I'd be out of a job!), but it is interesting to think about.
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Stenczie: I feel when one perceptive become more prominent it is because it makes the most sense. People become more opened minded to that one idea instead of searching within the piece themselves. So in a way it could become a stereotype. But I feel it just becomes understood in a way that makes most sense to the viewer why the piece was created the way that it was.
ReplyDeleteI never really thought about the “Venus” of Willendorf as a sign of “human curiosity about ourselves.” A very interesting thought and it makes me question my own perspective. I would also like to figure out what this figurine was for or what it represented. I agree with you that we should have an open mind when looking at this piece of art. It be anything, we are very fortunate to able to look at this piece from our past and be able to develop our own view of the piece. There will always be different views that brings up new what if’s? That can be explored and added to the list possibilities
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