Representations of Women in Art

Paper Summary:

Examines how depictions of women throughout history illustrate the roles of women in various groups. Focuses on Paleolithic, Egyptian & Indian art. Venus sculptures. Reductioin of female figure to its reproductive function. Lower status depicted in size of female figure. Female deities as representatives of power & protector of society, not just fertility objects.

From the Paper:

"In many cultures throughout history, depictions of women in art were far less common than representations of men. When women are shown in art the form of representation offers some clues as to the roles of women in the various groups. In the examples considered here two so-called Venus figures from Paleolithic art, two Egyptian "portraits" of women and girls of the highest class, and two goddess sculptures from India offer some insight into the ways women were perceived in these societies. They do not, however, offer more than a slight indication--especially in the Paleolithic and Indian examples--of the ways women functioned in everyday life, although it is possible to infer some things from these works of art.


Two Paleolithic sculptures of women are of the type that have been designated "Venus" figures because they are presumed to..."

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