A glimpse into how Aaron Mahler’s model of the Venus of Willendorf was made.

Mahler’s Venus on History Channel

SUZANNE RAMSEY
College relations staff writer

The completed model.

A digital, three-dimensional model made by Sweet Briar’s director of network services appears in the History Channel’s “Clash of the Cavemen.” The show, which premiered Sunday, May 11 and re-aired on May 17, 26 and 27, briefly features Aaron Mahler’s model of the Venus of Willendorf .

The Venus of Willendorf is an ancient limestone statue of a full-figured prehistoric woman. Using a 3D modeling and animation system called modo, Mahler originally made the model for a podcast on the Venus that is being produced by SBC art history professor Christopher Witcombe.

“[The History Channel] contacted Chris Witcombe, since he’s a known authority on the Venus when they were seeking better photos of it,” Mahler wrote in an e-mail. “He mentioned the model I was building and they asked if they could see it.

“They liked it, asked for a still frame they could use that looked as photographic as possible and I provided them with one.”

For more information, visit the History Channel’s Web site. “Clash of the Cavemen” also can be purchased on iTunes.