Venus de Milo: characteristics and analysis of the sculpture

The sculpture Venus de Milo It is a Greek work dating from the Hellenistic period, although its style corresponds to the predominant aesthetic of the classical period. It was discovered in 1820 on the island of Melos or Milo (according to modern Greek), from where its name comes.

Some experts attribute the work to the artist Alejandro de Antioquia, a more accepted hypothesis. However, there are researchers who question whether this was really the author of the Venus de Milo.

The work is currently in the Louvre Museum in Paris, the same place where it was first unveiled to the public. Today, it is one of the most famous sculptures of Classical Antiquity, along with the Discobolus of Mirón, The Victory of Samothrace Y Laocoon and his sons.

Analysis of the Venus de Milo

The statue Venus de Milo It represents a woman with a naked torso, her hair collected and with a dress fitted at the waist that covers her pubis and lower extremities. The fact that the piece lost its arms is obvious.

The Venus de Milo It shows the mastery of the artist who created it. Its elaboration must have taken place between 130 and 100 BC. C., years corresponding to the Hellenistic period. However, the artist has deliberately assumed the traits of the classical style of the 5th century BC. C. Let's see which ones.

The statue is thought to correspond to Venus, as it resembles other Venus old that also hide the pubis, even when they have part of the body uncovered. In Greek antiquity, total nudity was reserved for male bodies and, when it appeared on female bodies, it was normally associated with the goddess.

Characteristics of the Venus de Milo

Dimensions and material. The Venus de Milo It is a sculpture made of white marble. It is 211 centimeters tall and weighs 900 kilos, underscoring its monumentality. It was conceived to be appreciated from all sides.

Composition. The bent knee, while standing, reinforces the contour of your forms. It is once again the famous contraposto arrangement, in which the body distributes its weight on one leg that functions as a fulcrum, allowing the whole to acquire a shape sinuous.

With this position, shoulders and pelvis are tilted inversely. The draped cloak that covers Venus, from the pubic area to her feet, is carved with great skill creating reliefs and movements. The left leg of the goddess stands out from the cloak.

Proportions. The head is visibly very small in relation to the body. Still, the artist maintains the canon of the eight-headed proportions, preserving the harmony between the parts. There is the same distance between the breasts as between the chest and the navel. Also, her face is lengthened to the size of three noses.

Style. In the sculpture you can see the stylistic elements of artists such as Praxíteles and Fidias. For example:

• the flexibility of the line,
• the posture of the represented figure,
• the draping of the dress.

Along with other resources, the work is in a position that shows winding movements with great naturalness and "realism". In any case, the Venus emerges from the ground, contouring itself to give the greatest prominence to her face.

The original placement and position of the arms. Probably the Venus de Milo it was part of a sculptural ensemble. In this regard, the art historian Ernst Gombrich pointed out that the work could have belonged to a sculptural group, in which Cupid would be accompanying him. In keeping with this, Gombrich thought that the character of Venus extended her arms to Cupid.

Rather, other researchers have thought that she was holding her tunic with her right hand and an apple in her left hand. It has also been suggested that she was supported on some kind of base. This type of composition was more frequent at that time.

You can see the full video of the hypothetical reconstruction at the following link:

Meaning of the Venus de Milo

The sculpture represents one of the most revered goddesses of Classical Antiquity, both by Greeks and Romans. The Greeks called her Aphrodite and the Romans Venus. For both cultures, she was about the goddess of fertility, beauty, and love.

For the West, Venus de Milo is is a paradigm of ideal beauty. She embodies the values ​​of proportion, balance and symmetry that have shaped our aesthetic culture since ancient times.

There are many more interpretations of the meaning of the Venus de Milo. Many have to do with speculation about its possible original location, the position of the arms absent (that could be extended towards Cupid), or the fact that this carried in her hands an attribute such as Apple.

Other interpretations have to do with factors external to the work. For example, around the time that France acquired the Venus de MiloI had just lost The birth of Venus by Botticelli, a work that they had to return to Italy after Napoleon's defeats. Therefore, the Venus de Milo it was at the time the symbol of a new moral rearmament for the Gallic country.

History of the Venus de Milo

At the beginning of the 19th century, the island of Melos (Milo) was under Ottoman control. An ancient Roman theater had recently been discovered, which had attracted archaeologists and collectors to the region, especially French.

Is Venus It was found by chance in 1820, when a peasant found the piece while he was extracting rocks from ruins to build a fence. It is likely that those ruins were known to the French archaeologists, who roamed the area.

There is no certainty about the peasant's name. Some sources indicate that it was Yorgos Kendrotás, others, Giorgos Botonis or Theodoros Kentrotas.

The statue was divided into several parts. The peasant was aware of the value of his find, so he covered the Venus with earth. Some time later, the French became suspicious and coordinated an excavation with the peasant, in order to extract the sculpture.

A complicated sale

The peasant sold the sculpture to an Armenian monk who would have it destined for the Ottoman Nicolas Mourosi. One version suggests that this sale would be a smokescreen created by the French to elude the Ottoman authorities.

Another version maintains that the French appeared at the port to prevent shipment and negotiate the purchase. In both versions, the French in question were Jules Dumont D’Urville, ensign, and Viscount Marcellus, secretary to the French ambassador, who in one way or another managed to acquire the work.

The Venus thus traveled from Milo to Constantinople and, from there, to Toulon, where it was acquired by the Marquis de Rivière, Charles François de Riffardeau. He donated it to King Louis XVIII, who finally made it available to the Louvre Museum.

Why doesn't she have arms Venus de Milo?

It is not known what happened to the arms of Venus de Milo, although various theories, speculations and, why not say, legends have been generated. For example, a legend says that the piece was complete, but that during the naval confrontation between Turks and French for it, it would have been damaged and the arms would have fallen to the bottom of the sea.

Others say that along with the rest of the statue, a hand with an apple would have been found, but the rudimentary finishes, these fragments were not considered part of the work. Such fragments exist in the deposits of the Louvre, but they have not been incorporated.

The truth is that the Louvre Museum affirms that the work arrived in France without arms and that it was always known that it did not have them at the time of its discovery.

Who was the author of the Venus de Milo?

For sure, it is not known who was the author of the Venus de Milo. The most widely accepted hypothesis is that its author was Alexander of Antioch. This hypothesis is based on the finding of a plinth that could have served as the basis for the sculpture, and which has the following inscription: (Agés) andros, son of Menides, of Meander Antioch, made the statue.

On the other hand, some experts question this, since the plinth was lost in time. The only testimony in this regard is an engraving dated 1821, made by Frédéric Clarac.

It may interest you:

• Sculpture The Victory of Samothrace
• Voyeur Discobolus Sculpture
• Laocoon sculpture and his children
• Painting The Birth of Venus, by Sandro Botticelli