Terracotta statuette of Aphrodite seated on a rock
Unknown Artist
3rd century BCE
Medium
Terracotta
Dimensions
H. 8 in. (20.3 cm)
Classification
Terracottas
Culture & Period
Greek, South Italian · Hellenistic
Department
Greek and Roman Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1912
Accession Number
12.232.12
Tags
Art Historical Context
This charming terracotta statuette depicts Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love and beauty seated gracefully on a rock, accompanied by her sacred doves. Crafted in the Hellenistic period around the 3rd century BCE by an unknown South Italian Greek artist, it stands just 8 inches tall, making it a perfect example of intimate, portable devotional art from the vibrant Greek colonies in Magna Gra (southern Italy). The Hellenistic era marked a shift from the idealized restraint of Classical sculpture toward more dynamic, emotional expressions, capturing the goddess in a relaxed, naturalistic pose t...