Surname 1

Name

Instructor

Course

Date

A Compare and Contrast Essay on the Nude Woman Venus of Willendorf and Praxiteles,

Aphrodite of Knidos

Introduction

Many pieces of literature were created during the Palaeolithic period. A vast majority of

prehistoric sculptures represented either animals or humans. Generally, the art of the time mostly

represented women as opposed to men. More often than not, the painters and sculptors presented

women as nude. The representation is opposed to scholars' general assumption that men and

women of the time had garments covering their body parts, especially the private ones. The

Venus of Willendorf and Aphrodite of Knidos are some of the most popular figurines of the Old

Stone Age. A close analysis of the two sculptures depicts both similarities and differences.

Both sculptures were presented as nude. The painters and sculptors of time portrayed

women without clothes. The representation made both statutes gather considerable fame. The

woman's sculptures clear show a natural depiction of the breast. However, there is a notable

difference in the physical appearance of the two sculptures. While the nudity of the Venus of

Willendorf is fully exposed, the Aphrodite of Knidos portrayed with her right hand covering her

pubic part (Kohen 50).

 Surname 2

Limestone was the material used to make the two sculptures. Studies of Greek history

during the Old Stone Age period show that limestone and in abundance; thus, the makes of the

sculptors of the time had fewer difficulties making their sculptures and paints (Havelock n.p.).

However, there is a noticeable difference between the techniques used in making the Venus of

Willendorf and Aphrodite of Knidos. While the Venus of Willendorf was made using oolitic

limestone held together by lime mud, Praxiteles used fine marble to make the Aphrodite of

Knidos.

The two sculptures had various common uses and purposes. Generally, they were used to

represent a goddess that had not been seen. Moreover, the sculptures of both sculptures were

aimed at providing the views with the insight of respective societies of great aspiration. They

were also representations of the people's thoughts about femineity, sensuality, and ultimately

their view on beauty. Arguably, to a greater extent, the two sculptures have a high likelihood of

being made to represent fertility in women during the time (Kohen 50). However, while

Aphrodite of Knidos may have been intended to be used to portray a woman's beauty, there is a

high likelihood that the Venus of Willendorf was purposed to portray a woman as just fertility

objects that needed no beauty in them. The harsh portrayal of the Venus of Willendorf has been

interpreted by many artists of this decade as a sign that a woman of the old stone was more of a

sexual object.

To the viewers, with cultural and historical contexts, the Venus of Willendorf and

Aphrodite of Knidos had variation similarities while at the same time depicting diverse

differences. Both sculptures passed that women were important people in the societies of the

time. It is the reason few male sculptures and paintings were made compared to those of men

during the time. Meaning is also created that during the time, what was more important was
 Surname 3

reproduction (Havelock n.p.). The breasts and the pelvic parts seem to be cherished in both

paintings. However, the beautiful face in Aphrodite of Knidos shows that the facial look of a

woman was cherished while the Venus of Willendorf's ugly face reverses the meaning.

In conclusion, the Palaeolithic period was dominated by major works of sculptors and

painters. Most of the painters were more focused on portraying women, who they mostly showed

as naked. A closer assessment of the Venus of Willendorf and Aphrodite of Knidos show both

similarities and differences. The differences can be noticed in their physical appearance, uses,

intended meaning to the viewers, and the materials and techniques used to make the sculptures.
 Surname 4

Works Cited

Havelock, Christine Mitchell. The Aphrodite of Knidos and her successors: a historical review of

the female nude in Greek art. University of Michigan Press, 2007.

Kohen, Max. "The Venus of Willendorf." American Imago 3.4 (1946): 49-60.