When it comes to depictions of the human form, art history reveals something strange: we prefer images that don’t look like us. This program seeks to understand why unrealistic figures are so prominent throughout the evolution of painting and sculpture. Beginning with the Venus of Willendorf, one of the oldest representations of the body ever found, the film explores stimulus-and-response theories that suggest the brain is hardwired to favor exaggeration. Examining the stylized art of ancient Egypt and the cultural developments that produced the Kritios Boy of pre-classical Greece, the program draws intriguing conclusions from the Riace Bronzes—subsequent Greek works that deftly balance verisimilitude and distortion. A BBC/KCET Co-production. A part of the series How Art Made the World. (51 minutes)