Famous Sculpture Venus de Milo Statue and other Venus Statues

There is no mistaking the classical elegance that has made the Venus statue one of the most common sculptures used in decorating today.

Whether known as Venus or her Greek name Aphrodite, she is the goddess of love, beauty, and fertility. She represents affection and the attraction that binds people together in marriage. Her beauty is said to have caused the Trojan War and she was pursued by every God.

In Greek Mythology, her son Eros is the God of love and sexual desire. Her Roman son, Cupid, is the messenger of Love.

Venus de Milo Statue

The most famous Venus statue is the Venus de Milo housed in the Louvre in France. Although the sculptor is unknown and the date of origin can only be estimated the second century B.C., it remains a masterpiece with few equals.

In the early 19th Century the statue was discovered in an underground cavern on the Aegean island of Melos by a farmer digging in his field. It was missing its arms but it is believed that one held a shield while the other held a mirror so that she could admire her own beauty. After a unique series of events, the French acquired the statue and renamed it the Venus de Milo.

Birth of Venus

Coming from the sea, is this lovely statue of the Birth of Venus. The ancient legends say that Venus sprung from the foam of the sea. Her arrival at the abode of the Gods threw Mount Olympus into an uproar. Everyone was charmed by her beauty and each asked her hand in marriage. This legend was taken by Botticelli for his famous painting The Birth of Venus, which now hangs in the Uffizi gallery in Florence.

Venus by Canova

Canova carved the original Venus Italica to replace the ancient Roman Medici Venus, seized by Napoleon in 1802 from the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. In the true Neoclassical spirit, Canova decided to reinterpret the ancient work rather than carve an exact replica. Drawing inspiration from other classical statues of the goddess, he made several significant changes in the figure; as a result, his Venus appears more natural and her movement more gentle than the Medici Venus. The Venus Italica was immediately hailed as Canova's masterpiece and a worthy successor to the ancient Venus. When I saw this divine work of Canova, wrote the poet Ugo Foscolo in 1811, I sighed with a thousand desires, for really, if the Medici Venus is a most beautiful goddess, this is a most beautiful woman.

At Statue.com, we are proud to offer an extensive collection of Venus statues ranging from replicas of the classical pieces above to more modern erotic sculptures. Most of our Venus Statues can be found in our Venus Statue Gallery by clicking on the link below, but you will also find some modern Venus sculptures in the Classical Sculptures Gallery and some large Venus statues in our Life Size Sculpture Gallery.

For more interesting topics related to archaeology, visit archaeology excavations.