Paleolithic Sculpture

 Venus of Willendorf, Austria, ca. 28,000-23,000 B.C., Limestone

 

The earliest of all human representations were these small nude female figurines which were found in Paleolithic sites. The archeologists who first discovered these began to call them “Venuses” after the Greco-Roman goddess of beauty and love.  However, this nomenclature is very misleading.  Venus was a goddess.  First, we do not know whether or not early humans believed in gods and goddesses.  Second, we do not know if they made images of their deities. 

Today, this is the so-called Venus of Willendorf is simply regarded as a Stone Age sculpture of a nude woman.  It was carved sometime between 28,000 and 23,000 B.C.  It was discovered in Willendorf, Austria. 

This is an example of sculpture in the round.  In other words, this work of art is fully three-dimensional and is meant to be viewed from all sides.  It was created by carving away the stone, which is a subtractive method of creating sculpture.  The piece is less than 5 inches tall.  The subject is a woman who has no facial features.  Some scholars have argued that she is wearing a hat woven from plant fibers, but we do not know for sure.  It is simplified in form.  Her breasts and belly are enormous, especially in the context of her very rudimentary arms and hands.  Likewise, it appears that the artist carved a public triangle (this is not always the case).  But because there is an emphasis on sexuality, this was probably intended to depict fertility.  It was probably not meant to be a portrait, which is an image meant to capture the likeness of a specific person.

Woman holding a bison horn, Laussel, Dordogne, France, ca. 25,000-20,000 B.C.

This is an example of relief sculpture, which is a sculpture that project from a two-dimensional surface.  Like the Venus of Willendorf, it was created using the subtractive method of removing stone from the surface.  It is about 1 ½ feet tall and was part of a large stone which stood in front of a Paleolithic rock shelter in Laussel, France.  In other words, it was an outdoor sculpture.  Originally, this work of art was painted with a naturally occurring pigment — red ochre.  Today, this piece stands in a museum and is, therefore, divorced from its original setting.  Without explanation, this relocation could limit our ability to understand and interpret the art.

Once again, note the exaggerated breasts, abdomen, and hips.  Note that we still see a featureless head (though it also looks damaged).  Here, the arms and hand are more fully rendered.  One hand rests on a pregnant belly, while the other hand holds a horn — the meaning of which is unknown.

Two bison, clay relief in cave at Le Tuc d’Audoubert, Ariège, France, ca. 12,000 B.C.

These are clay relief sculptures that were discovered in the cave tubes at Le Tuc d’Audoubert in France.  These were found in a cave chamber which did not have clay in it — the clay had to be brought in from another chamber in the cave. 

These bison were executed in a strict profile and are approximately 2 feet long.  They represent examples of additive sculpture because the clay was built up, modeled, and smoothed by hand. The details are engraved with a sharp tool known as a burin.  The cracks appeared as the clay dried.

Bison with turned head, from La Madeleine, Dordogne, France, ca. 12,000 B.C.

This piece of sculpture has a truly remarkable composition!  Using a relatively flat piece of a reindeer horn, the artist envisioned a bison in three-dimensional space with the head turned back toward the tail.  The animal appears to be licking its fur (or perhaps licking a wound).  The elements of the composition are carved on the surface of the horn with a sharp point.  Also, note that the carving is very detailed.  We see horns, eye, ear, nostrils, mouth and hair of the bison.