The Crouching Venus

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The Crouching Venus represents a remarkable example of John Nost the Elder's mastery in carving, making it a rare surviving representation of a classical subject executed in marble. At the time, the sculpture's scale and accomplishment gave it an exceptional grandeur and presence in Britain. Like its antique prototype, Venus is depicted attempting to cover her nakedness ineffectively, drawing attention instead to her sensual body with her gesture. The goddess appears to be bathing or possibly adjusting her hair, caught unaware. Nost's sculpture indicates the sophisticated level of patronage enjoyed by wealthy gentry in Britain at the start of the eighteenth century and tantalizingly suggests how interiors of eighteenth-century country houses were decorated with sculpture. The nude goddess rests on a plain rectangular base, kneeling on her left buttock which is supported by an overturned urn. Her arms are crossed in front of her breasts, her head turned to her right, and her hair partly coiled into a bun at the back of her head. She wears a bracelet on her upper left arm. The sculpture is signed on the front of the base: 'I. Nost F. /1702'. The figure sits atop a contemporary marble base designed by John Nost. This object can be found in the Sculpture Room 23, located within The Dorothy and Michael Hintze Galleries. This item is part of "Scan The World", a non-profit initiative introduced by MyMiniFactory to create a digital archive of fully printable sculptures, artworks, and landmarks from around the world for public access at no cost. Scan The World is an open-source community effort where anyone with interesting items can contribute by emailing stw@myminifactory.com.