In the prehistoric and ancient works of art, the representation of women and men reveals a massive imbalance in gender equity that favors men over women. The males were presumed superior and of great salience in the community, while the females were viewed as subordinates (Seejarim). The Venus of Willendorf is the first prehistoric art that presented women in art, and it was discovered in Austria. Perceptions of gender have been transformed into visual arts and representations. During the Old stage, men and women played different roles and responsibilities in the family (Seejarim). While men were assigned hunting, women were responsible for gathering, caring for children, and preserving racial conformity.
Unlike most women’s artistic depictions, the Venus of Willendorf, found in Austria, celebrates the female body without sexualization. The woman of Willendorf was seen as a fertility figure for recreation, fetish of good luck, and a representation of motherhood made by men for the appreciation of men (Seejarim). This is evident through the characteristics of Venus; she is soft, and round, her breasts are large, and her hips full.
The Kouros statue represents the male gender, and it depicts them as powerful and muscular, suiting their dominating roles over the female gender. This artistic work represents the society that has been taken over by the boychild in the importance of leadership and supremacy in the community (Uçar). The Venus of Willendorf portrays the role women have been assigned in society based on their features like large breasts, enlarged hips, and round, signifying that women are responsible for giving birth and caring for children. Being soft and having a prominent kneecap suggests that women are good at preserving tribal harmony, unlike the male gender in society.
In addition, the Venus of Willendorf depicts that women were seen not to have any functional role in the community as they are only seen for their bodies and fertility increasing the tribes. The Kouros, on the other hand, clearly defines that the male gender is given the role of a leader in society (Uçar). They are also supposed to go hunting to provide for the family as it portrays the male gender to be solid and muscular, thus dominating the female gender. Kouros also evidently describes gender inequality in leadership since only the male child has been given the responsibility of ruling because of their masculinity, yet some women have good leadership characteristics.
Apart from Venus of Willendorf depicting women as only fertility agents, the ancient work also portrayed women as dependent creatures on their male counterparts. The Venus sculpture had no feet, which can be understood as representing a dependency (Uçar). The imbalance of gender is seen in Korai and Kouros, which showcased the differences in how the male and the females were treated in ancient Greek culture (Uçar). It is seen that Kouros body was not covered to show the ideal muscular body of the male gender clearly.
In contrast, the body of Korai was fitted with loose garments to hide her curves and generally feminine features, seeming to protect her innocence. This suggests how well the male gender was conserved and looked at in ancient Greek society (Seejarim). Unlike the female gender, the males dominated society and were seen as the strong holders of the community, and their presence was always appreciated.
References
Seejarim, Usha. “Venus, and Tainted Memory.” (2019).
Uçar Sarıyıldız, Dilara. Changing Perceptions of Sculptural Polychromy in Europe: Ancient Greece to the 21st Century. Diss. Bilkent University, 2021.