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Venus de Milo
The marble sculpture titled Venus de Milo was created by Alexandros of Antioch some time around 101 BC in Milos, Greece. It is the opinion of some art professionals that this is a depiction of the greek goddess Aphrodite (goddess of love and beauty), while others believe that this could also be Amphrite (a sea goddess). While observing the piece, there is no doubt that this is a depiction of an ideal naturalistic semi nude figure. With her hair parted in the center and in a clean curly updo, this female figure has a calm and expressionless face. She leans to her right side with her left foot on a squared rock. She stands slightly forward with her left leg bent and her left shoulder raised in a relaxed or seductive posture, but her arms seem to have been broken off at one point in history. Her bottom half is draped in a cloth while everything from her hips up is bare. Venus de Milo is listed as being 6ft 8in (203 cm) and she currently resides in The Louvre, Paris, France.
Given the title and time period of the piece, this marble sculpture is representing a Greek goddess. It is possible that she was meant as a tribute to the goddess or for ritualistic purposes, maybe even protection. She has a presence about her that is unmistakable and one could not miss this stunning beauty. With her presence, it is only logical that she had great meaning to the people she presided over. Perhaps this could also simply be a beautiful woman that the artist saw in his dreams or he studied many women to create the ideal woman for him. In some instances this level of work could also be attributed to a master working to perfect his trade and the great meaning or perfection of him on a personal level and less for his community.
Art & Sustainability 