Venus of Laussel

25,000 BP

The Venus of Laussel is a large bas-relief, discovered in 1911 at the Abri de Laussel rock shelter in the Dordogne region of southwestern France. Carved into the limestone of a cave wall, the figure measures approximately 46 cm in height, making it one of the largest known Palaeolithic representations of the female form. It is dated to approximately 25,000 years BP.

The figure depicts a woman with pendulous breasts and a large stomach and hips. In her right hand, she holds a bison horn or cornucopia marked with 13 incisions. The left hand rests on her abdomen, and her featureless face is turned towards the bison horn. Traces of red ochre pigment were found.

Discovered in 1911 by physician Jean-Gaston Lalanne at the Abri de Laussel rock shelter. Unlike many portable Venus figurines, the Laussel Venus was a fixed sculpture, carved on a cave wall.

Today, the original relief is housed in the Musée d’Aquitaine in Bordeaux, France.

Bibliography

Wikipedia contributors. (2024). Venus of Laussel. Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VenusofLaussel (Accessed: 1 June 2025).
Liew, J. (2017). Venus Figurine. World History Encyclopedia. Available at: https://www.worldhistory.org/Venus_Figurine/ (Accessed: 1 June 2025).
Ancient Art Archive. (n.d.). The Venus of Laussel in the Musée d’Aquitaine, France. Ancient Art Archive. Available at: https://www.ancientartarchive.org/international_site/the-venus-of-laussel-in-the-musee-daquitaine-france (Accessed: 1 June 2025).