In 1922, in a reed cave in the village of Lespug, France, a sculptural image of a woman from a mammoth tusk was discovered , which can be attributed to the Gravettian period (dating - 26-24 thousand years BC). The figurine has a size of 14.7 x 3.6 x 6.0 cm. She was given the name Venus Lespugskaya as one of the "Paleolithic Venus." The figure was damaged during the extraction process: a part of the chest, abdomen, arms were chipped. Venus is now on display at the Museum of Man, Paris.
The figurine is a full-length nude, depicted strictly frontally. Head small, regular oval, slightly tilted forward; facial features are not indicated. On the reverse side, thin straight lines are observed, ending at the level of the shoulder blades - this is probably an image of hair. Hands are disproportionately thin, lie on the chest, which rests on the stomach. The legs are short, clearly separated by a furrow in the middle, tightly adjacent to each other. Feet and palms not worked out. The limbs are given conditionally, attention is not paid to them, since they only set the human silhouette. The silhouette line is not broken by a gesture. This makes the figure closed, complete, motionless. There is no specificity in the show, the features are given schematically. This generality contrasts with the emphasis on sexual characteristics: enlarged breasts, buttocks, protruding abdomen, full hips. In their image, a method of hypertrophy is used - a conscious increase in size and proportion. The sculptor makes them as pronounced, excessive, distorted. This monument is unique, because it combines exaggeration and balance of the transfer of body shapes. In these forms, we can guess the analogy with the vessel: the motionless lower part poured, pressed down by its weight, emphasizes the function of continuing life. Functionality plays the main role here, prevailing over aesthetics. BEHIND. Abramova emphasizes that this stems from the socio-logical nature of the image of a woman, different from the emotional nature of the image of an animal in the art of Paleolithic.
There are no social, ethnic markers in the figurine - jewelry is not shown, the hairstyle is not pronounced, although strokes from the back of the head can still be interpreted in this way. The surface of the figurine is smooth - there is no ornament. Inattention to such details is characteristic of the gravette period. However, on the flip side, under the buttocks, there is a lined triangular fragment, with a peak in the foot area. It can be interpreted as an image of a cloth of clothing, a descended loincloth, a piece of a skirt. However, there is another interpretation of this fragment as a ritual pattern on the skin or an artificial tail woven from fibers. This point of view is supported by S.N. Zamyatnin. He claims that the image of the tail was associated with magical rites for a successful hunt.
The figure is inscribed in a rhombus: there is a narrowing to the head and legs and expansion in the pelvic area. In this case, the breasts and hips are inscribed in a separate circle. The image is based on spherical shapes. It is also worth noting that the image is symmetrical both horizontally and vertically. BEHIND. Abramova notes the “isometric construction” of the Paleolithic Venus - the body is divided into equal sections, which may be a manifestation of the primitive person’s perception of harmony. This is to some extent applicable to the Lespug Venus. The figure can be visually divided into three parts: the upper part includes the head, shoulders and a flattened chest; the middle part containing the main volume is the connected breasts, stomach, buttocks; the lower part is the legs. By division, a rhythm is set, the interaction of geometric elements creates balance.
Thus, we can note the characteristic features inherent in the female sculptural images of the Paleolithic era in Lespyug Venus. This is a small size - on average, they reach 4-16 cm in height (numerical data vary: A, L. Mongait says about 12-22 cm), and material - they can be made of mammoth ivory, clay, soft stone, etc. Lespugskaya Venus also demonstrates the use of techniques inherent in the image of a woman in a given period: generalization of incarnation, facelessness, emphasis on maternal function.
The sculpture of small forms of the interglacial zone can be divided into European and Siberian groups. The considered monument belongs to the first. The small size of the head compared to the body, the presence of a pronounced neck, narrow shoulders, exaggerated secondary features (chest, hips, etc.) are the features characteristic of the European group of figurines.
BEHIND. Abramova classifies Venus from Lespug as a classical type of image of a woman, despite the synthesis in her of all three types: classical, thin, and obese. The general proportions of the body are the right physique; signs of the second type include flattening of the chest and torso; Excessive roundness and convexity of the shapes indicate obesity of the figure. Thus, realism is combined with stylization.
In science, there are several interpretations of female images. A number of scholars interpret them as the real embodiment of real Paleolithic women. E. Piett raises the problem of steatopic features (the prevailing fat deposition in the buttocks), linking the figurines with the image of real representatives of the black race. However, the scientific community did not accept this version, refusing to perceive these monuments as portraits due to their conventionality.
According to another point of view, the image of Venus expresses the aesthetic ideas of the primitive man, the erotic ideal of a woman. This opinion was refuted, since eroticism is rarely found as the main theme in the art of primitive societies.
There are other points of view, however, the classic version of female figurines as elements of the fertility cult seems to me the most convincing. It is confirmed by the fact that women are most often portrayed as pregnant, clearly showing signs of childbearing. Venus Lespugskaya is in this case a vivid example that supports this version. The figurine could serve as a ritual attribute as a symbol of abundance or be in the house as a talisman. This is evidenced by the features of the location of the figures. Such finds are found in human habitats - parking lots. BEHIND. Abramova notes that they were stored in specially dug holes in the dwellings, near the outbreaks. This emphasizes the role of women in primitive society as the guardians of fire, the patroness of the clan. Noteworthy is the shape of the statuettes' legs, which is also inherent in the Lespug Venus: without feet, they are narrowed down. This allows us to think that they stuck into the ground or had a stand in the framework of religious rituals.
Thus, we can conclude that Venus Lespugskaya is a vivid example of the fine plasticity of the Paleolithic. Her research allows us to reveal the features of Paleolithic art as a whole. The theme of man is characterized by the predominance of female anthropomorphic images. This is due to the cult of women as the ancestors of life, the guardians of the clan. This is due to attention to sexual characteristics and their hypertrophy.
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