For centuries, the Arts have served as the primary medium for the advancement of political ideals, communication and the expression of creativity. These functions of the arts have been evident throughout antiquity and dates back all the way to the paleolithic era, where history as we know it was non existent. The different materials, tools, and artistic approaches used in these Prehistoric Artworks tells us so much about these cultures, including their values, morals, their overall societal structures and so much more information we would have otherwise been oblivious to, due to the absence of written history.
This is a canon piece from the prehistoric era called Venus of Willendorf. The exposure of the breast and the vaginal parts propagates the idea that Venus of Willendorf was a representation of the beauty standards of this culture. One of the things that stands out from this piece is the all round head wrap. By simply observing the other details on this piece, we can reasonably assume that Venus of Willendorf not having a face was a conscious decision. From this, it could be inferred that facial features was not seen as a standard of beauty in this culture. The overall body composition of Venus of Willendorf further stresses the disparity between our culture and that of Venus, effectively exposing the mortality of culture in general. Another interesting detail is the position of the limbs. Both the arms and the legs seems to to tucked-in in an almost comical manner. However, one cannot deny how delicate and feeble Venus looks due to this pose. This observations advances the possibility that this was a hunter gatherer culture, were men usually hunted and women gathered the produce as men were seen as physically stronger that women. While minute, this perception also gives as an idea of the social relations of this culture.
From just one piece of prehistoric, we were gain a general understanding of the beauty standards, the moral values, the economy and social structure of a culture we knew nothing about. Studying prehistoric opens us to a whole new world, stemmed from culture inspired through the environment. You just might learn more about yourself than the past.