I found the ability to understand the reasons that ancient cultures made art based on neurological research surprising. The work of the scientist on the film and the comparison to the seagulls was an interesting connection that I had not considered before. I thought that it was surprising that science and art could be intertwined in this way, explaining why civilizations from all over the world may have created art with similarly exaggerated features.
What did you find puzzling?
I found the universality of the Venus figures to be puzzling. The film showed many examples of such Venus figures across many modern-day European countries, like France and the Czech Republic, but none outside of this area. I would be interested in knowing if these Venus figures existed outside of Europe or if it was purely a Western phenomenon, as it was not mentioned. If …show more content…
The connection between the art of ancient Egypt and their cultural values was new to me. Although I have seen ancient Egyptian artwork before, with its unique human profiles, I had never considered the reasons that they might have made art or depicted the body in this way. I learned that it was a result of their cultural values, such as precision, permanence, and order, that the body was depicted in a stylized way and they built large structures, like the Pyramids.
What was interesting?
I thought the overall message of the film in exploring different depictions of the body from the perspective of three different ancient cultures was interesting. Many of the reasons these ancient cultures created images of the body are still the same ones used today to do the same. It is interesting that art history can reveal similar themes about the connection between people and art over time. The lessons learned from the Venus figures, Egyptian art, and Greek statues are applicable to modern images of the body and the reasons that humans create art in this