Capitoline Venus at The Louvre, Paris

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This exquisite sculpture was unearthed in Acqua Traversa, a quaint town nestled just outside Rome, and is estimated to have been created during the 2nd century AD. The masterpiece is part of an esteemed collection of antique replicas that depicts the revered goddess Aphrodite (Venus), with the best-preserved example residing in the museum of the Capitole in Rome. Although now lost to time, the original Greek model dated back to the 3rd or 2nd century BC and was inspired by the iconic Aphrodite of Cnidus crafted by the renowned ancient Greek sculptor Praxilites. The Capitoline Venus is a distinctive type of statue representing Venus, specifically one of several Venus Pudica (modest Venus) types, of which numerous examples exist. This type ultimately originates from the Aphrodite of Cnidus. The Capitoline Venus and her variants are easily recognizable due to their characteristic arm position – after emerging from a bath, Venus begins to cover her breasts with her right hand and her groin with her left hand. This original work (from which subsequent copies derive) is believed to be a lost 3rd- or 2nd-century BCE variation on Praxiteles' masterpiece from Asia Minor, which modifies the Praxitelean tradition by introducing a sensual and voluptuous treatment of the subject and the goddess's modest gesture with both hands – in contrast to only one hand covering her groin, as seen in Praxiteles' original.