"Venus of Milo", after Antiquity | 20th Century

CARVED ALABASTER BUST OF "VENUS OF MILO"

Probably Italian, first half of the 20th century | unsigned | raised on an original shaped plinth

18" H x 10 1/4" W x 5 1/4" D

Carved in a soft and silky solid block of alabaster, this bust reproduces the upper portion of the Venus de Milo, one of the most recognized sculptures of classical antiquity. The original, discovered on the island of Milos, Greece in 1820 and now housed in the Louvre, is a Hellenistic depiction of Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty.

In the tradition of the Italian copyists of the Grand Tour era, this early 20th century example reflects the academic tradition of reproducing antique masterpieces with careful attention to detail for study and collection. It simplifies the full-length figure into a truncation focusing attention on her face with only subtle modeling of the torso. Note the reinterpretation of the strong Classical ideal in the original into a softer and more youthful face for the present Venus.

Condition: Old repair to the socle at the base edge; minor chips around the upper edges of socle and underside of bust; a few chips/abrasions; inclusions/blemish above her right eye, below her left jaw line, beside her right shoulder. A very nice presentation, ready to place.

ref. 509VWS26P