Aphrodite
Datec. 450 BC
PeriodClassical
Place MadeItaly, Europe
MediumCopper Alloy, Bronze
Dimensions12 x 4 x 2.5 cm (4 3/4 x 1 9/16 x 1 in.)
Credit LineGift of Drs. John and Bessie Sawhill
Object number76.1.706
On View
Not on viewCollections
Label TextEXHIBITION TEXT for 76.1.706
Statuette of female figure (Venus?)
Ancient Roman republic, 1st century BC
Italy (?)
Bronze
12 cm x 4 x 2.5 cm
Gift of Drs. John and Bessie Sawhill
MAC, 76.1.706
This delightful small bronze depicts a female figure, who is covering her nudity with her left hand and a beautifully draped garment. Venus, the goddess of love, was often represented naked, as she emerged fully formed from the sea off the Cypriot coast. One of the most famous representations of the goddess is known as the ‘Venus pudica’ (modest Venus), where she attempts to cover her breasts and groin with her hands. Another is the Venus de Milo, where she half-heartedly pulls up the drapery that covers the lower half of her body.
This artist has combined the two versions, allowing Venus – or an unknown female figure - to modestly cover her body, while fully exposing her thigh and hip.
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