The Naked Aphrodite

The statue of the nude Aphrodite (Venus) is an absolutely beautiful, larger than life, Roman sculpture constructed of marble around the 4^th century B.C.E but was later discovered in 17^th century A.D. (1666-1670). When looking at the sculpture, it is apparent that Aphrodite is attempting to cover herself possibly after bathing. She is standing with her right leg bent as her left leg remains straight. The detail in this sculpture is exquisite because her womanly shape is so precise it looks as if it is truly a real woman standing before you. Her right arm is making an effort to cover her breasts while her left hand is successful at covering her pubic area. The expression on her face is quite blank as she is maybe trying to hide her embarrassment very nonchalantly. Her head is turned to the left as if she is looking for a place to hide and her hair appears to be half up, half down in a messy fashion. Overall the piece is incredibly stunning and the appearance of the sculpture is smooth and soft similar to the way Aphrodite probably felt after her bath. The myth behind this sculpture relates to the story of how Aphrodite was born. Among other stories, Aphrodite was born of the sea foam when angry Cronus castrated his father Uranus (sky god) during his mating time with Gaia (Mother earth goddess) when Uranus' sperm fell from the sky, it landed in the sea and from the foam arose Aphrodite. Boticelli's famous painting The Birth of Venus perfectly depicts what Aphrodite looked like when she arose from the foam.

~Lisa Drusedum