Venus Aphrodite Greek Roman Goddess Terracotta Art Statuette Museum Reproduction TS0005

The statuette copies on a smaller scale one of the most famous Greek statues ever made. About 350 B.C. the Greek sculptor Praxiteles carved a cult statue of the goddess Aphrodite, the first full-scale female nude in Greek art. Praxiteles’ statue became extremely popular, especially in the Hellenistic and Roman periods, capturing the attention of both writers and artists. Although the original statue does not survive, its popularity led to a huge production of copies and variations on the theme, so that today more nude Aphrodites survive than any other single ancient statue type. The idea of the goddess caught in a private moment follows a certain voyeuristic tradition in Hellenistic art, and part of the statue’s appeal was clearly erotic. Roman writers such as Pliny did not hesitate to point out the overtly sexual reaction that Praxiteles’ statue produced in viewers.