Venus of Laussel
c. 20,000-18,000 BCE
limestone
height 17 inches (43 cm)
Dordogne, France
(Musée d'Aquitaine, Bordeaux)
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PLEASE NOTE
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| Women in PrehistoryThe "Venus" of Laussel
Christopher L. C. E. Witcombe
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The "Venus" of Laussel was discovered in 1911 by a physician named J. G. Lalanne [see BIBLIOGRAPHY] carved into the wall of a limestone rock shelter (named Laussel) in the Dordogne not far from Lascaux. The shelter, under an overhang, is a terrace over 300 yards long which looks out over the valley below. Although originally thought to have been a dwelling site, it is now believed it served as a ceremonial center.
The carving, which is 17 inches high, was fashioned using flint chisels. The art historian Sigfried Giedion [see BIBLIOGRAPHY] describes the figure as follows:
"The figure and the block are inseparably interlocked. In the position selected by the artist for this relief, the block had a slight overhang, so that the figure swelled forward gently. When seen from one side, the curve appears as taut as a strung bow. It swells up to a supreme point, the maternal belly, then falls away at either end and sinks slowly into the rock, in which the feet seem to melt. The upper part of the body curves gently backward, and the head, resting between two rock projections, seems to be reclining, as though on a cushion."
Copyright © (text only) 1998 Christopher L. C. E. Witcombe. All rights reserved.
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