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Lot n° 96
Estimation :
1500 - 2500
EUR
Fragmentary statuette of Venus Pudica - Lot 96
Fragmentary statuette of Venus Pudica
Imperial Roman art, 1st–2nd century A.D., based on a Hellenistic prototype
Fine-grained white marble with ochre-brown earthy deposits. H. 21.5 cm.
Fragment of a statuette of Venus (Aphrodite) standing in the style of the Venus Pudica, the lower body wrapped in a himation with tubular folds draped over the left shoulder, resting
on a draped caryatid that serves both as a structural support and a narrative figure. A preserved cavity on the left side corresponds to the socket for a left arm that was once attached but is now lost. The reverse side, which is unsculpted, indicates that the work was intended for a single frontal view (lararium, niche, wall sconce).
The iconographic type of Venus leaning on a caryatid is attested in
late Hellenistic coroplastic art; two comparable figurines from the Pottier-Reinach excavations at Myrina (1st cent. BCE – 1st cent. CE) are preserved at the Louvre Museum, one of which — Aphrodite holding the apple
and leaning on a caryatid holding a modius (Myr 30, height 21.2 cm) — offers a parallel of nearly identical format and design.
Condition: fragmentary; the head, upper torso, right arm, and the reattached left arm are missing, as are the feet. Clear, ancient breaks; no restoration.
Provenance: Former private collection in southern France
Expert: Ms. Bianca MASSARD
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