>>56133297That's because they thought penises that were small when flaccid looked more harmonious in relation to the rest of the body, hence closer to aesthetic perfection (and they were right).
Then again, the Greeks and Romans also had a deity whose whole gimmick was having a giant, erected penis (Priapus).
But these two depictions served different purposes, as statues were normally meant to depict the perfection and harmony of the human body, whereas other depictions had a humorous or symbolic purpose.
In the case of Priapus, for instance, the giant penis was a symbol of fertility and thus worshipped for that purpose, although his cult wasn't particularly popular.
>>56133282The Venus of Willendorf, like other similar depictions of the female figure in prehistoric times, was likely used for rites that aimed at getting a prolific harvesting season. In fact, several figures of this kind end with the legs fused in a spear-like pointy end, suggesting that they were probably meant to be inserted in the ground.
Most art back then was symbolic. Ancient Greek statues often depicted people who didn't exist, they took the best (most harmonious/aesthetically pleasing) features out of several models and matched them to create the image of a 'perfect' human being.
Because aesthetic perfection in their eyes was also linked to athletic performance, a perfect body couldn't have huge boobs or big dicks or lots of body fat, because those things would impact negatively on athletic performance.
