Crouching Venus

myminifactory

The Rising Aphrodite is a Hellenistic masterpiece depicting Venus caught off guard during her bath time ritual. Typically, this iconic goddess is shown crouching low with her right knee pressed firmly against the ground, her head turned sharply to the right and, in certain versions, stretching out her right arm to cover her breasts with her left shoulder. The earliest recorded mention of a sculpture resembling this type can be found in Pliny the Elder's Natural History (Book 36, Chapter 4), where he describes the "Venus bathing herself, crafted by Daedalus," situated within the Temple of Jupiter Stator. Due to the sheer number of ancient versions that have survived, pinpointing an accurate identification is a challenging task; however, it is safe to assume that this Venus type was extremely popular among art enthusiasts in its time.