Ancient Roman Bronze Figure of Venus, Imperial Period, Circa 1st-2nd Century AD
Conservation: Losses to middle finger of left hand. Light surface wear commensurate with age, as shown. Otherwise, excellent with lovely patina.
Material: Bronze
Dimensions: 5.1 cm x 16.5 cm; 20.1 cm on stand
Provenance: ex-private Michigan, USA collection, acquired in 1985; ex-Royal Athena Galleries, New York, New York, USA; Ex-Sotheby’s, London, July 9, 1984, Lot 315; Artemis Gallery, Louisville, USA, 2022
Exhibited: Exhibited in Picker Art Gallery, Colgate University and Ohio University Art Museum, 1985 to 1994
Published: Published in Eisenberg, J. “Art of the Ancient World.” Vol. XXVI, New York, 2015, no. 43; also “Art of the Ancient World.” New York, 1985, no. 281.
Price:
On request
A stunning leaded bronze figure of Venus (Greek Aphrodite), the goddess of love and beauty, resembling Praxiteles Aphrodite of Knidos, enveloped in a verdant green patina. Crowned by a crescent-shaped diadem, the gorgeous deity stands in contrapposto with her right leg bent at the knee and her weight gracefully shifted. Her left arm gently bends as her hand grazes her body, hovering over her sex, perhaps a gesture of modesty like the Venus Pudica, and her right hand extends out from her body in a welcoming pose. The goddess turns her head ever-so-slightly toward her right, her tranquil visage displaying naturalistic features framed by a rolled back coiffure resolving in a chignon, while soft tendrils grace her shoulders.
