Venus of Mierlo

The Venus of Mierlo is the nickname of a prehistoric engraving of a young woman which was found at Geldrop-Mierlo in the North Brabant province of Netherlands.

The name is, of course, purely modern, as the engraving predated by many millennia the Italian religion and the goddess Venus. There is no way of knowing what was the woman's name or those who made the engraving, and its exact cultural and religious significance is a matter of conjecture.

Famous quotes containing the word venus:

    In the drawing room [of the Queen’s palace] hung a Venus and Cupid by Michaelangelo, in which, instead of a bit of drapery, the painter has placed Cupid’s foot between Venus’s thighs. Queen Caroline asked General Guise, an old connoisseur, if it was not a very fine piece? He replied “Madam, the painter was a fool, for he has placed the foot where the hand should be.”
    Horace Walpole (1717–1797)