THE Venus de Milo is a Greek statue from antiquity, more precisely from the Hellenistic period, which was discovered in 1820 on the island of Milos, Greece.
This figure represents the goddess Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty in Greek mythology. She was one of the most worshiped goddesses by the Greek people and the Romans called her Venus.
Considered one of the best known statues of antiquity, today, it is part of the collection of the Louvre Museum in Paris, France.
Main features
Probably, the Venus de Milo, considered the symbol of classical female beauty, was produced between the 100's and 190's. Ç.
With a strong realism, the statue, made of white marble, is about 2 meters high and weighs approximately 900 kilos.
This is a semi-naked woman in an upright position. Below the waist, it has a draped fabric that covers all of your legs. She has wavy hair, which is held up in a bun.
Because it has some holes, it is assumed that the statue was decorated with jewelry, such as earrings, bracelet and tiara (or crown). These objects were never found.
History
There are many controversies about its authorship, and for now, it is attributed to Praxiteles and, for the other, to Alexander of Antioch.
The most likely story would have been of a French boat docked in the port of Milos, on the Aegean Sea, in the mid-19th century. The intention was to find valuable archaeological pieces.
A peasant, Yorgos, offered the statue which was divided into two pieces and so it was bought by the French-speaking navigators at a very low price. It is believed that at that time, she has already been found without her arms.
Shortly thereafter, she was introduced to Louis XVIII, King of France at the time. At the king's request, the statue was taken to the Louvre Museum for exhibition, where it remains today.
Curiosities
- The Venus de Milo is considered one of the most expensive works in the world.
- The arms of Venus de Milo have never been found, but it still intrigues many researchers, historians and archaeologists.
- In addition to the arms, the statue has no left foot.
- Because it is very famous, nowadays it is possible to find thousands of reproductions for artistic consumption.
- The statue was found on April 8, 1820 in the town of Milos, by the peasant Yorgos Kentrotas who was looking for stones to build a wall.
- Currently, the Greeks are asking the French to return the statue. In this context, a campaign was carried out in the city of Milos in 2017, for Venus to return to its place of origin.
read more:
- goddess venus
- Greek mythology
- Ancient Greece
- Hellenistic Culture
- greek sculpture
- Evolution of Greek Sculpture
