About the Artwork
Toward the end of the fifth century BCE, a famous Greek statue of Aphrodite, the goddess of love, was created, probably to decorate a temple in Athens. It was such a popular image that it was later copied many times. The type became known throughout the Greco-Roman world and was associated with the Roman goddess Venus.
In more complete examples, Aphrodite is shown holding the apple awarded her in the contest among goddesses when she was judged the most beautiful. Female nudity was not sanctioned in art until later in Greek history but artists discovered a way to reveal aspects of feminine grace. Aphrodite’s garments cling to her body, outline and emphasize contours, creating the illusion of female beauty at its most sensuous.
Torso of Aphrodite, Roman copy of the Venus Genetrix type
1st century CE
(Artist) Greek (Artist) Roman
Marble
Overall: 58 × 25 × 17 1/4 inches (147.3 × 63.5 × 43.8 cm) Including base: 63 × 24 × 24 inches (160 × 61 × 61 cm)
Sculpture
Greco-Roman and Ancient European
Founders Society Purchase with funds from Cristina and Henry Ford II
74.53
Public Domain
Markings
Please note: This section is empty
Provenance
(Jeannette Brun);1974-present, purchase by the Detroit Institute of Arts (Detroit, Michigan, USA)
For more information on provenance, please visit:
Provenance pageExhibition History
Please note: This section is empty
The exhibition history of a number of objects in our collection only begins after their acquisition by the museum, and may reflect an incomplete record.
We welcome your feedback for correction and/or improvement.
Suggest FeedbackPublished References
Bulletin of the DIA 53, no. 2 (1974): p. 53.
Peck, William H. "A New Aphrodite in Detroit." Bulletin of the DIA 54, no. 3 (1976): pp. 124-132, (front cover ill.); p. 124 (ill.).
Henshaw, Julia P., ed. 100 Masterworks from the Detroit Institute of Arts. New York, 1985, pp. 30-31 (ill.).
Henshaw, Julia, ed. A Visitors Guide: The Detroit Institute of Arts. Detroit, 1995, p. 117 (ill.).
Brinke, M. "Die Aphrodite Louvre-Neapel." Antike Plastik, no. 25 (1996): pp. 7-64, (pls. 1-50).
Kindly share your feedback or any additional information, as this record is still a work in progress and may need further refinement.
Suggest FeedbackCatalogue Raisoneé
Please note: This section is empty
Credit Line for Reproduction
Roman; after Greek, Torso of Aphrodite, Roman copy of the Venus Genetrix type, 1st century CE, marble. Detroit Institute of Arts, Founders Society Purchase with funds from Cristina and Henry Ford II, 74.53.
Feedback
We regularly update our object record as new research and findings emerge, and we welcome your feedback for correction or improvement.
Suggest Feedback
