The birth of Aphrodite (Venus)_IMG_6582n

National Archaeological Museum of Athens, Greece, within the exhibition "Countless Aspects of Beauty" in Ancient Art. The exhibition presented a timeline of aesthetic trends, evolving from neolithic times to late antiquity.

This photo shows the marble statue of Aphrodite of the Syracuse type, 2nd c. AD. Also, another outstanding sculpture completes the scene: the sleeping little Eros, who is looking like he sleeps at the feet of the goddess. This Aphrodite statue which was discovered in southern Italy, at Baiae in the Bay of Naples (once a hedonistic seaside playground for ancient Rome’s rich and famous), probably adorned a luxurious bath or garden. It is made of Parian marble and has a height of 1.8 m. The statue was restored by the sculptor Antonio Canova, since it initially lacked head, neck and right arm. It is a Roman copy of a Greek original. With her left hand, the goddess holds her dress to prevent it from falling down, while with her right attempts to cover her left breast. Thus, the statue belongs to the Venus pudica type (suggesting an action to cover the breasts), which derives from a statue of the famous Athenian sculptor Praxiteles, the Aphrodite of Cnidus, which Pliny the Elder, the writer of encyclopedic Naturalis Historia (Natural History), described as “superior to all the statues … of any … artist that ever existed.” Praxiteles introduced an important legacy of artistic revolution, when around 350 BC pioneered a new perception of nudity in Greek art when he created the first beautifully unclad female figure, the Aphrodite of Knidos (Cnidus). The original Greek sculpture is no longer in existence; however, the successors, the Roman copies, like the one in the image, survive of this influential work of art.

Born from the foam of the sea, according to the Hesoid, was Aphrodite, daughter of Uranus (the Sky). Her companions were Eros and Himerus (desire). Having travelled as far as the shores of Cyprus, the goddess emerged from the sea waves. There, as mythological tradition has it, the Horai (seasons of the year) and the Graces, anointed her, dressed her in divine robes, adorned her with bright ornaments and led her to Olympus. Since then her allotted task was to offer erotic desire to gods and mortals. According to Homer, the bewitching goddess was the daughter of Zeus and Dione.

The unsurpassed beauty of Aphrodite transcends the ancient art that records in a vivid and glorious manner her sensual figure. Associated sometimes with legends narrating her adventures and at other times with her cult, the image of the goddess embodies the essence of female beauty and symbolizes the generative power of sexual union.

This image is included in the galleries

Van drone Galleries: Sculptures- Esculturas curated by Van dorne Galleries

Antiquities curated by Jiakometi

CLASSICS curated by Creamy Pet

Taken on: October 21, 2018

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