Lot 42A
Rome, Imperial Period, ca. 1st to 3rd century CE. A finely carved white marble head of a female or deity, most likely Venus (Aphrodite) - the goddess of love and romance, with her coiffure arranged in a bow design atop of her head and trailing behind her neck. This "bowtie" hairstyle may have been inspired by Praxiteles' Cnidian Aphrodite (Aphrodite of Knidos, ca. 360 to 330 BCE - also made famous by the Capitoline Venus, ca. 96 to 192 CE). An elegant presentation of the goddess with her head tilted ever so slightly to the left, she presents beautiful almond-shaped eyes, arched brow lines that lead to her slender nose, full closed lips, and smooth skin. This votive head may have been from a bust or sculpture that was placed in a small household altar or given as an offering at a temple dedicated to the goddess. Size: 3.25" H (8.3 cm); 5" H (12.7 cm) on included custom stand.
Venus (Aphrodite in the Greek pantheon) has inspired countless depictions throughout art history, among the most famous, Attic sculptor Praxiteles's "Aphrodite of Knidos" (ca. 360 to 330 BCE), the equally famous "Lely's Venus" (ca. 100 to 199 CE), Alexandros of Antioch's "Venus de Milo" ( 130 to 100 BCE), the Renaissance artist Sandro Botticelli's masterful painting "Birth of Venus" (1484-86), and Baroque artist Peter Paul Rubens' equally masterful "Judgement of Paris" (ca. 1636) painting.
Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection
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#144189
- Condition: A fragment of a bust or sculpture with expected surface wear and old abrasions/losses to nose, coiffure, and other high-pointed areas as shown. Still, a very special example with a beautiful countenance.
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| $5,000 | $9,999 | $500 |
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