"Aphrodite of Knidos" at the Met in NYC

3D Model

This statue is an important (and rare) 1st to 2nd CE Roman version of the scandalous and revolutionary “Aphrodite of Praxiteles.”  Praxiteles was a sort of Michelangelo of the 4th century BC.  To be sure, Michelangelo closely studied, copied, and emulated Praxiteles’ work.  This sculpture was one of the first viral images of the civilized world and arguably one of the first erotic ones.  It was also the first full-length female nude sculpture in western civilization and must have taken considerable courage and audacity to pull off. Though the original did not survive, many sculptors created copies and interpretations of Praixiteles’ “Aphrodite of Knidos”. Before the Aphrodite of Knidos, nudity was the exclusive uniform of the male hero, god, and demigod.  It is reported that a sailor was so taken by the Aphrodite of Knidos that he “left a stain” on her smooth marble exterior.  Some certainly would have viewed this statue as pornographic, however, one conservative man’s porn is another man’s art.