Vénus impudique
The Vénus impudique is the first Paleolithic sculptural representation of a woman discovered in modern times. It was found by Paul Hurault, 8th Marquis de Vibraye in about 1864 at the famous archaeological site of Laugerie-Basse in the Vézère valley. The Magdalenian "Venus" from Laugerie-Basse is headless, footless, armless but with a strongly incised vaginal opening. De Vibraye named it La Vénus impudique or Venus Impudica, contrasting it to the Venus Pudica, a class of Roman sculptures depicting the goddess Venus covering her naked pubis with her right hand, and her breasts with the other. It is from this name that we get the term "Venus figurines" commonly used for Stone Age sculptures of this kind.
