LeRoy McDermott argues that paleolithic venus figurines lose their distorted proportions and acquire representational realism if we understand that they are self-portraits created by women looking down at their own bodies. If we look down at our own bodies, breast and belly dominates the visual field, navels seem nearer the pubis, legs are foreshortened and buttocks appear elevated - all features seen in the figurines. (click through for full article)
