You have seen her many times before, to be sure, but, to see her in person (in the marble :)) was unforgettable. I went there twice in one day and then the following day to absorb the beauty that was hand-crafted by an Ancient Greek sculptor named Alexandros of Antioch.
I finally scored a headset recording on the second visit and learned that this goddess of love and beauty is almost seven feet tall.
She was found by a peasant in the ancient city of Milos in the Aegean Islands in 1820. A French officer figured she would be an important work of art and started to organise her removal. But the peasant refused and wanted money, so he sold her to a priest who wanted to gift her to someone in Constantinople. She was eventually given to King Henry XVIII who handed her over to the Louvre museum, where she resides today.
Her arms, which were found and verified as original, could have been reattached but they deliberately weren't. This was to keep the public interested in the mystery they had formulated about her.
Also, as she was never meant to be viewed from the back, she was never given detail seen on the rest of her. However, she would have been fully decked out in jewellery (which was likely to have been stolen) and she was possibly painted as well.
Her left arm was probably raised at eye level holding an apple and her right arm curved loosely around her waist holding up her drapery.
Beautiful indeed.
2 comments:
Beautiful, yes, and your presentation is quite interesting, Mervat.
Years ago I saw her at the Louvre. I didn't get the background and history tho so it was great to read what you posted.
Darla
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