Statuette of Venus
About 2nd century
Medium
Bronze
Dimensions
H.: 20 cm (7 7/8 in.)
Classification
statuette
Department
Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
263702
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
This statuette depicts Venus, the Roman goddess of love, sexuality, and maternity, with her hair in an elegant updo and wearing nothing but the diadem (crown) atop her head. Earlier images of Venus often represented the goddess modestly clothed, reinforcing her role as exemplary matron and mother of the Roman people. By the first century, Venus was regularly shown fully nude, reflecting body types associated with her Greek counterpart, Aphrodite, whose domain leaned more toward the pleasures of ...
About the Artist
Ancient Roman
The artists attributed to "Ancient Roman" in museum collections represent the anonymous craftsmen who produced the vast output of sculpture, frescoes, mosaics, and reliefs defining Roman visual culture from the Republic (c. 509–27 BCE) to the late Empire (c. 395 CE). Individual identities remain elusive, as Roman makers were typically viewed as skilled tradesmen—often enslaved Greeks or provincial...