CIRCA 1ST-2ND CENTURY A.D.

Sensuous depictions of the goddess Aphrodite, either nude or in various states of undress, owe their ultimate origin to the Knidian Aphrodite by the Greek sculptor Praxiteles from the 4th century B.C. During the subsequent Hellenistic Period and continuing into the Roman Period, countless variations were created, some as cult statues, some as villa ornament, and others bearing the portraits of prominent Imperial women who sought to be equated with the goddess. While no exact parallels are readily found for the version presented here, she recalls a number of statues where the mantle is arranged around the waist, exposing the upper torso and one leg., the so-called Venus Felix. See for example the figure with a portrait thought to represent Faustina Minor, no. 696 in A. Delivorrias, et al., "Aphrodite," in LIMC, vol. II. That the goddess was intended for the statue presented here is confirmed by the presence of the dolphin tail.