Venus Medici White Carrara marble. Thumb lost,... Lot 893

Venus Medici White Carrara marble. Thumb lost, tip of the index finger reattached. H 99 cm. Italy, 19th century. The statue is a replica of the Roman marble sculpture that was rediscovered in the 16th century, which in turn was probably based on a model by the Hellenistic sculptor Praxiteles. The life-size marble figure was owned by the Medici until it entered the collection of the Uffizi Gallery in Florence at the end of the 17th century. The statue quickly became a famous object of study for artists and sculptors and was copied many times. Beautiful to look at from all sides, the undressed woman presents herself shamefacedly, hiding her breasts and lap with both hands; her head is turned to the side, as if a viewer is surprising her from there. Provenance Acquired from Kunstsalon Franke in 2000. Literature Cf. Boschung, Die Rezeption antiker Statuen als Diskurs. The example of the Venus Medici, in: Schade/Rößler/Schäfer (eds.), Zentren und Wirkungsräume der Antikenrezeption, Paderborn 2007, p. 165 ff.