Category Archives: Venus or Woman of Willendorf

STUDYING THROUGH DRAWING

To deepen my understanding of female prehistoric figurines, I have set out to draw a few of them.

Clockwise starting with the middle-lower sitting woman, you find Courbet Venus, carved in a seated position, about 14.900 years old. Followed by the Venus of Polichinelle, carved in green steatite, 27.000 years old, found at Grimaldi. The strictly stylized engraved Lalinde Venus (there are more than one) found in Gönnersdorf in Germany, in Abri Murat and Gare de Couze in France, Pekárna in the Czech Republic, and Wilczyce in Poland. Stone Age. Further clockwise; Venus figures from Wilczyce, followed by another Gönnersdorf figurine. Then, Petersfels Venus that is made of jet, circa 15. 000 BP- 2.000 BP. Another Gönnersdorf engraving and last, Venus from Nebra, 15.000 years old, animal bone.

It makes you wonder, doesn’t it? So much body diversity. But why the concentration on bellies and buttons, and why are heads and feet missing? Most women look either emaciated, nursing, or pregnant. Are some suffering from chronic diseases?

Did it matter how a female looked like, or was a piece of bone or stone vaguely resembling a woman and therefore symbolizing a (perhaps departed) woman suitable for whatever ritual? Some look crudely abstract, others are enchantingly elegant, as if they are the first sketched outlines of ballerinas in action.

I have chosen an ocher background as this pigment was hugely important to prehistoric peoples.

Here are my study-sheets from various sources. One being an old Dutch book ‘Mensen uit de Oertijd’ with texts by Prof. Dr. J. Augusta and illustrations by Z. Burian. Publishers Atria-Praag/Pegasus Amsterdam 1963.

Aren’t they fascinating in their similarities and differences?

Paula Kuitenbrouwer

Should you have enjoyed this article, please support the artist and her website:

Small art cards by Paula Kuitenbrouwer with text on the backside and some white space for a message, a note, or prayer. Size: 7.4 by 19.5 cm, that is about 3 by 4 inches. Very nice for to use as a bookmark, personal altar piece, a gift for a prehistoric enthusiast, or as a small art cards gift.

Artist at Etsy

At @mindfuldrawing on Instagram

Commissions welcome: contact me at mindfuldrawing@gmailc.om

• The Artist’s Life
• Swedish Death Cleaning or Döstädning & Dementia
• Swedish Death Cleaning Part 3.
• Swedish Death Cleaning Part 2.
• Self Portrait