Greek/ Roman Goddess Brochure

Immortalized in Art: Greco-Roman Goddesses.

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content by Adele Lauzon Holly fang hao Liu Lauren Davitt Vanessa Dos Santos Xingyi Chen

THE GUIDE TO A VIRTUAL GALLERY THE BEAUTY OF THE GREEK & ROMAN GODDESSES

Design by holly fh liu

The Winged Victory of Samothrace

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A rtist: Unknown.

Date: Early second century BCE. Material: Parian and Gray Lartos marble.

Height: 3.28 meters

The Winged Victory of Samothrace depicts the Greek goddess of victory, Nike. This sculpture represents her on the prow of the ship, celebrating a naval victory. The use of gray marble, and style of boat, indicate that it was likely a dedicative statue to the people of Rhodes. The statue can be dated to the early second century BCE, and the artist is unknown. The style of drapery mimics the florid style seen in the fifth century BCE. This style clearly represents the movement of the piece, with wind plastering her dress to her body.

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Artist: Unknown.

Date: The Antonine Period, 2nd century CE. Material: Marble Height: 125 cm Current Location: The British Museum.

The Crouching Venus

The Crouching Venus shows Venus naked. She looks to the left, her hands cover her chest, and her crouched legs hide her genitals. From the front, her arms cover her chest, but from the left where her gaze is directed, her breast is exposed. As modesty would be expected of both Ancient Greek and Ancient Roman women, this may be an example of a goddess statue representing expected values for mortal women.

The statue depicted is a Roman copy from the Antonine period, the 2nd century CE; the original is a Greek Hellenestic statue, from 200 BCE. Both artists of the copy and the original are unknown. This is an example of a statue type, which shows Venus, or Adrophite, naked and in some discomfort. Other examples of this include the Slipper Slapper and the Capitoline Venus.

The Slipper Slapper FAH207

Artist: Unknown.

Date: 100 BC. Material: Marble.

Height: 1.34 meters

This piece, at slightly under life size, depicts the goddess Aphrodite, satyr and god of the wild Pan, and Eros, a companion of Aphrodite. In this ancient take on “Beauty and the Beast,” Hellenistic theatricality is perfectly exemplified, capturing a silly, anecdotal moment between the three. The scene depicts Aphrodite coyly warding off advances from the beastial Pan by threatening to slap him with her slipper. The stance of the goddess, with one hand placed over her genitals in an attempt to cover herself, actually draws more attention to her nudity. Eros’ role in this scene is unclear, as his grasp on Pan’s horns could be an effort to pull him closer or to push him away. Either way, it is clear that Aphrodite has the upper hand in this situation, and that she will refuse to participate in anything she does not want to; the assurance of her safety and wellbeing offers this scene a kind of comic relief. Though this is a lighthearted motif, it also represents the goddess’ strength and fortitude.

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Athena Parthenos

Artist: Pheidias.

Date: 438 BCE. Material: Original--Gold and Ivory exterior, wooden core.

Height: 12 meters

The Athena Parthenos was the cult statue of the Parthenon in Athens. At over 12 meters tall, gilded in pure gold, there is no doubt the visual would have been awe-inspiring. While the original statue by Pheidias no longer exists, we have close copies that offer a good idea of what it must have looked like. On her shield is an aegis, the head of a gorgoneion, meant to offer the goddess protection. In her right hand, Athena holds Nike, repeating the message of Victory built into the Parthenon and its sculptural program. This motif is continued throughout the statue as well.

On her shield is the Amazonomachy and the Gigantomachy, and on her sandals is the Centauromachy. This representation expertly exemplifies Athena’s role as the goddess of war, wisdom, and strategy.

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Carved by the sculptor Praxiteles in the 4th century B.C. from fine marble, the Aphrodite of Knidos enjoyed great renown as the first devotional statue of a female goddess in the nude. The statue of Aphrodite is depicted engaging in a trivial act of everyday life.

Artist: Praxiteles Date: 4th century BCE. Material: Marble.

Height: 1.52 meters

Aphrodite of Knidos She has removed her clothes, placing them over a hydria (water pitcher) and is just about to step into a bath. The Aphrodite of Knidos established a canon of the female nude that was even more popular than the Doryphoros based on the number of copies and imitations, but questions linger about the direction of her gaze and whether she is looking downward in both modesty and shame.

Venus de Milo FAH207

Artist: Alexandros of Antioch Date: Late 2nd century BCE. Material: Marble.

Height: 2.03 meters Current Location: Louvre Museum

The statue is made from Parian marble and stands some 6 feet 8 inches tall. It is thought to portray Aphrodite, the ancient Greek goddess of physical love and beauty.

Tragically, the statue's arms and original base, or plinth, have been lost almost since the work's arrival in Paris, in 1820.

Sculpture reconstruction experts calculate that the separately carved right arm of the Venus de Milo lay across the torso with the right hand resting on the raised left knee, thus clasping the drapery wrapped around the hips and legs. The left arm, meanwhile, was holding up the apple at about eye level. As the statue resembles both the goddess's air of aloofness, the harmony of her face and her impassivity are stamped with the aesthetics of the 5th century BC and the hairstyle and delicate modeling of the flesh evoke the works of 4th-century sculptor Praxiteles, it is to be believed as a Hellenistic creation which blend classical tradition and innovation.

FAH207 Eastern Pediment Figures of the Parthenon: Aphrodite & Dione Artist: Pheidias Date: 438BC-432BC Material: Marble Height: 1.23 Meters

These figures are part of the larger pediment, located on the eastern wall of the Parthenon.

The statue itself was carved from one large piece of marble, and is believed to be depicting two Greek Goddesses. The figure on the left, believed to be Dione, is cradling in her lap the figure on the right, believed to be her daughter, Aphrodite.

These pediment figures were created during the High Classical period of Greek Art, a period known for its action poses and more naturalistic human movements, easily recognizable within this sculpture. The figure of Dione is depicted crouched down, paused in her ascent to a standing position, while the figure of Aphrodite is shown sprawled out in her mothers lap, her body twisted into a very sensual and relaxed pose. The material of their clothing is scrunched up molded to parts of their body, emphasizing femininity and making the statue look much more realistic.

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Based on a fourth century BC Greek bronze sculpture, attributed to Leochares, this statue is depicting Artemis, the Greek goddess of chastity and a fierce huntress, known for punishing men and their misdeeds with her arrows.

Artist: Praxiteles Date: 4th century BCE. Material: Marble.

Height: 1.52 meters

Artemis The Huntress The original sculpture is dated back to the classical period, as seen in the statue's very realistic rendering, the natural movements of the body, and the way in which she is shown paused in her forward movements. The viewer can also see the use of contrapposto by the artist, shown in the way in which most of her weight is placed on her left foot, while her hips and shoulders are slightly rotated away from that foot. The goddess, herself, is also depicted both with femininity and masculinity, as seen in the way she is dressed as a woman but in the action pose typically seen only of men.

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Nike of Paionios

The Nike of Paionios is a slightly above-average statue of Nike, the Greek goddess of victory. The sculpture originally stood next to the temple of Zeus, and its inscription indicates that the statue was erected to commemorate the recapture of Sphacteria from the Spartans in 425 BC. The date of the statue is inferred to be 425-420 BC, and the Greek sculptor, Paionios, made it. The existing statue misses the wings, face, hands, part of the left leg, and some of the dress. This statue was interesting compared to contemporary works since it used the wet drapery style, which is a new style characterized most female statues in later Greek with clothes that appear transparent and cling to the way wet clothes cling to the body. This allows her feminine form to be revealed through the almost transparent garment and its deep folds. This Statue is nearly free-standing. The wind blows Nike's dress into its background and support, which is clearly a result of her flight. Her posture captures the moment of descending flight, demonstrating speed and grace.

Artist: Paionios Date: 420 BCE. Material: Parian Marble Height: 1.98 meters Current Location: Archaeological Museum of Olympia

Venus Genetrix The Aphrodite of Frejus

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Artist: Callimachus (original) Date: late 5th C BCE Material: bronze(original) Height: 1.64 meters

The Aphrodite of Frejus is an example of Venus Genetrix. The Athenian sculptor Callimachus created a bronze sculpture of Aphrodite between 420 and 410 B.C.. She wears a light chiton that slips from her left shoulder and exposes her left breast. The chiton is slightly hung down and decoratively carved with the wet drapery technique so as to show the contours of the woman's body. Venus was depicted holding the apple in the left hand, while the right hand is held to the right side of the head, gently twisting up a piece of her dress. The form of the body is monumental, depicting Aphrodite as a seductive and alluring goddess.