ABSTRACT
This chapter examines how Baartman's exhibition as the famed Hottentot Venus conjoined two existing tropes of black femininity in that era—the "Hottentot" and the "Venus"—that "made explicit the connection between bestiality and unbridled sexuality". The archetypal Venus, an ancient Greco-Roman goddess of love, beauty, and sexuality, could not possibly be linked to savagery and subhuman status, Strother further argues. Out of the iconography, the trope of heightened sexuality framed conversations about African women. The Hottentot Venus show more than emphasized sexualized savagery and the "erotic" nature of black femininity, which was also the focus in scientific investigation. The popularity of the Hottentot Venus exhibition gave rise to numerous cartoons featuring Baartman's prominent behind, grossly exaggerated for comical effect. From the sociopolitical and cultural context, the drama of the Hottentot Venus in London paralleled the drama that unfolded on the African continent.
