Fragement of The Esquiline Venus at the Louvre, Paris

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This sculpture is part of the Esquiline Venus, a smaller-than-life-size nude marble statue of a woman wearing sandals and a headdress. The name "Esquiline" comes from where it was found, Esquiline Hill in Rome, likely at the same site as the Discobolus and Laocoon and his Sons were previously discovered. In style, the Esquiline Venus showcases the Pasitelean eclectic Neo-Attic school's blend of various earlier styles. It features a Praxitelean idea of the nude female form; a face, muscular torso, and small high breasts in the fifth-century BC severe style; and pressed-together thighs typical of Hellenistic sculptures. The statue's arms are missing, likely breaking off when it fell after the imperial park where it stood fell into disrepair. These have been frequently restored in paintings but never in reality. Its subject has been interpreted in different ways over time. The most common depiction is Venus as Anadyomene (Rising from the sea), one of the iconic representations of the goddess during her birth from water. Another common interpretation is the female version of Polyclitus's Diadumenos, tying up her hair with a fillet.