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Ancient goddess of love, Venus appears before
us, a beautiful bronze sculpture created by a
skilled Roman artist. One of the twelve
Olympians, Venus (known to the Greeks as
Aphrodite) was one of the most celebrated
deities of the ancients, known as the goddess of
beauty, mother of love, queen of laughter,
mistress of the graces and of pleasures,
patroness of courtesans. Here, she stands in a
slight contraposto stance with her weight resting
on her left leg (now truncated at the knee). Both
her arms are missing, although they would have
been attached separately at the armbands just
below her shoulders. It is possible that her arms
could have been fabricated from a different
material, such as bone or ivory, or they quite
possibly could have been bronze as well.
We wonder how she would have stood originally,
with her arms covering her breasts and genitalia?
Maybe she held her hands outwards to receive
libations? Although her original stance will
remain a mystery, we can conjecture about her
placement with a fair amount of certainty. Given
the size and artistry of this sculpture (as well as
the luxurious material), we can safely assume
that this sculpture of Venus would have once
stood inside a niche in a temple dedicated to the
goddess. It is also just as possible that she may
have served as a private votive in the residence
of a wealthy Roman citizen who wished to invoke
the goddess’ favor in affairs of the heart.
Her face is elegantly modeled with a head of
wavy hair styled into a tiara of curls. She would
have once worn earrings, likely made of gold,
where only holes now remain. This marvelous
bronze sculpture is a gorgeous rendering of one
of the most enduring figures of the Classical
age. In antiquity, this sculpture brought success
in relationships to those who revered it, perhaps
its amorous powers will continue to bring good
fortune in love to whomever possesses it today.
- (X.0074)
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