30 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022
VENUS OF HOHLE FELS
One of the most recent discoveries is also
the oldest known Venus. The Venus of Hohle
Fels was discovered near Ulm, Germany,
in 2008 and dates to approximately
35,000 years ago. Carved from the tusk of
a mammoth, the work stands nearly three
inches high. Despite the figure’s exaggerated
characteristics—jutting breasts, prominent
vulva, and fleshy hips, thighs, and belly—the
piece is an early example of figurative art, in
which a creator depicts real objects (such
as other people or animals) rather than
abstractions or patterns.
DPA PICTURE ALLIANCE/ALAMY