The Venus de Milo, also known as Aphrodite from Melos, is a famous ancient Greek statue that represents Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love and beauty. Her name, Venus, comes from the Roman name for Aphrodite, and Milos is the Greek island where she was discovered in the 1800’s. She is one of the best-known sculptures from ancient Greece having been created during the Hellenistic period, ca.150–50 BCE.
During the Classical period, the art and culture from 480 and 323 BCE, there was a drastic advancement in art. In the course of this time the artwork, especially sculptures, became more natural, realistic, and human-like. Though made from marble and other unyielding materials, the artists managed to make their work look as though they were true humans with soft flesh that could breathe. Praxiteles was a famous sculptor from this time that had this amazing ability. He sculpted the first nude statue of a goddess, Aphrodite of Knidos. This trend of creating realistic statues has continued for centuries. During the Hellenistic period, the period directly after the Classical, ca. 323 BCE, and 30 BCE, there was a great demand for Classical Greek sculptures, copies, or artwork created in a similar style. Artists of this time attempted …show more content…
She stands with her drapery wrapped loosely around her hips. Sculpture reconstruction experts speculate that her right arm may have rested against her torso with her hand grasping her drapery in order to keep it from slipping off her body altogether. Her body is slightly twisted, and her head is turned a bit to the left, possibly looking at the apple held in her left hand while she held it at eye level. Her long, wavy hair is pulled back in a loose chignon, and though she is realistic, she is also idealized in such a way that determining her age is near impossible. She might have once been decorated with jewelry, such as bracelets and earrings, but these are all long