The Museum of Man Visit was quite a learning adventure. I have lived in San Diego my whole life and I have to admit that I had not visited any of the museums in Balboa Park since my fieldtrips form elementary school.
Aside from the gorilla displays I was really drawn to the Paleolithic art pieces. I remembered that on the first day of class I had commented on Venus of Willendorf because that was one of the art pieces that I remembered from elementary school. I was very young when I was first exposed to this piece of art to understand the true meaning and appreciate the creativity of this specific piece.
Venus of Willendorf, c. 24,000- 22,000 BCE, measuring 4 3/8 inches, and it is made of limestone. This mini statue depicts a women with exaggerated parts of her body. "The genital area would appear to have been deliberately emphasized with the labia of the vulva carefully detailed and made clearly visible, perhaps unnaturally... combined with her large breast and the roundness of her stomach, suggests the subject of the sculpture is female procreativity and nurture." Venus of Willendorf has been known for centuries to be some sort of fertility idol.
I found Venus of Willendorf different and interesting because for us it is considered art but centuries ago it served like a talisman for women who wanted to conceive (or so it is believed by many). Overall, my visit to the museum and the whole class in general (Art 151) opened my eyes to a whole new dimension of art appreciation. I am really grateful and happy for all that I have learned in this short period of time. Best of luck to all.
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