Bronzestatuette der Venus

Römisches Museum Augsburg in den Kunstsammlungen und Museen Augsburg

Description

The statuette represents Venus, the goddess of love and beauty, who is about to untie the sandal on her right foot. The figure is naked except for a cloth cloak. This is draped over her left shoulder and wraps around her right thigh from her back, covering part of her pubic area. Venus is balancing on her left leg, which is only half preserved, the left arm raised for balance. The lost right arm will have been extended towards the sandal on her right foot which was lifted back. In this version, the statuette follows a rarer, probably earlier type of "Aphrodite untying her sandal", which has existed since Hellenism. A later version in which the left leg is raised in front of the right one is more common. Executed in bronze, the type that the statuette follows is extremely rare. In the north-western provinces it is only found on this Augsburg specimen. The statuette’s ear jewellery was attached separately and her robe was decorated with silver. The eyes were also inserted. The original place of installation can no longer be named with certainty. The outstanding quality of the piece suggests the context of a wealthy household. For example, it could be placed in a domestic shrine (lararium) or serve as a representative object of art or decoration.

The design of the hairstyle helps in dating the statuette: the loosened reproduction of the hair with holes is also found in sculptural works from the Antonine period and suggests a date into the second half of the second century.

Rights Statement Description

CC BY-NC-ND 4.0