This sculpted figure of Aphrodite, done in marble or at least represented in marble was created during the classical period (350-340 BCE) in Athens, Greece. The work is rumored to have been done by Praxiteles, though no actual evidence of this claim exists. Theorists do, however, see a remarkable resemblence to the style of Praxiteles.
Sculpted Aphrodite as An Idealized Feminine Form
The head of this statue is very much an idealized form of a woman, which in essence is what the character Aphrodite (the goddess of love) is said to represent. So, it makes sense for her to be represented in such a manner.
The hair frames face so as to pull attention towards the winsome and sympathetic gaze of the statue; she has a very poised and confident look to her, with her straight nose and poised lips. The figure is bathing, but she does not look/seem not embarrased by her nudity nor is she ashamed. Standing in the contrapposto pose (weight on the right leg, left leg slightly bent) Aphrodite is a symbol of eternal youth. This is represented through the cleansing and renewal of the figure – thus the bath.
Aphrodite of Knidos as a Cnidian Figure
This scupture has the classic characteristics of the Cnidian type which includes the "pin-up" pose – apparently characterized by the use of hands to cover the genitals as a sign of modesty – and the robe that she is holding above a vase off to the side. This is a gesture that had not been represented in Greek art before the Aphrodite of Knidos. She is both modest and revealed; she covers her genitals, but in doing so draws attention to them. The figure can be viewed in the round and is just as appealing from every direction.
Controversy Surrounding Aphrodite of Knidos
While a beautiful depiction of one of Greece's most prominent goddesses, there is a notion that this statue is one of the first nudes in the history of western art. Scholars wonder how Praxiteles (or his contemporary) got away with such a feat... having either passed it off as Aphrodite's role as a "cult" object or perhaps by including the vase of water and the garment to make it so that her nudity was not without purpose or reason?
If this statue was to be the first of the completely nude imagines in Greek art, it could potentially serve as a way to date the statues/images of Aphrodite in history. Figures could potentially be dated based on the amount of clothing they wore, the more clothing, the older the statue.
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