Art: Aphrodite of Knidos, Praxiteles & Birth of Venus, Botticelli

Since the ancient world, Aphrodite has been an object of desire and yearning. She has enchanted the minds of men with her sultry curves and planted ideas of what could be. 

Could there be more to the image of Aphrodite than just an international symbol of love and sex? What can we learn about her, and most importantly about women, when we look at the way she was depicted in works of the past? 

The purpose of my essay today is to compare two works of art, Aphrodite of Knidos, by Greek sculptor Praxiteles, and the Birth of Venus, by Italian painter Sandro Botticelli. I want to discuss similarities and  differences with you all. 

But mostly, I want to talk about the underlying themes focusing on the objectification women as vulnerable, and sensuous objects of desire and fantasy for men to gaze upon.

 Aphrodite of Knidos, c. 330 B.C. is a marble statue sculpted in the round during the Late Classical era. It was carved by famed ancient sculptor, Praxiteles and is the first known life-size female nude in the western ancient world. Up until the release of Praxiteles’ Aphrodite of Knidos, works showing the male nude dominated the ancient art world. 

Praxiteles shows a private glimpse into the life of Aphrodite: She is preparing for her bath, and her body language seems to imply that she has just been surprised by an intruder. Aphrodite of Knidos was a cult object, many times used in the gardens of wealthy patrons for veneration (Artic).

Birth of Venus, by Sandro Botticelli was commissioned by the Medici family during the Italian Early Renaissance era. The work is an egg tempura painting on canvas. It is interesting to note that Botticelli decided to use canvas (considered a lower quality material) at a time when works on wood were much more popular and considered the better choice for artists. This work was kept hidden (meaning it was not available to the public) from the time of its creation in c.1486, until 1815, where it was finally released for public view in Florence. 

The painting shows Venus, born of the sea, standing in a shell and being pushed to the shore by the winds of the zephyr on the left. While the Aphrodite of Knidos was the first nude female in known art, Birth of Venus, was also the first depiction of a female nude since antiquity. Unlike the Kinadian statue, Botticelli’s work was predominantly kept within the private residence of its patron, and was meant to be hung in a bedroom.

Regarding stylistic characteristics of Botticelli’s Birth of Venus, Professor Cheryl Barton, with the Academy of Art University states: “In Botticelli's art we see a preference for line and beauty more than perspective and the realistic depiction of things”. 

Botticelli was not concerned so much with his work looking natural, or realistic, but instead employed neo-platonic ideals, where he preferred work that accentuated beauty and connected the viewer to a divine notion of beauty.

For example, Botticelli painted Venus’ stance in a way that would be both physically impossible, and incredibly uncomfortable. The s-curve of her body is humanly impossible, acting more like a flexible rubber doll, rather than flesh, blood and bones. He also intertwines the zephyrs on the left in impossible ways. The soft curves and lines add to the sensuality of the work. Every figure in the work is floating in this fantasy world, again stimulating our imaginative minds. 

Unlike, the stylized unnatural poses in Botticelli’s work, in the Aphrodite of Knidos Praxiteles creates the naturalistic, humanistic form of a woman. In tales told by Pliny and other ancient historians, the goddess was modeled after Phryne, a courtesan and Praxiteles’ lover, known at the time for her flawless breasts, “as Martin Robertson put it, 'the indistinguishability of the statue from a beautiful and desirable woman' ideologically tells us what the conditions of that desirability are and causes those conditions to appear unaccountably 'natural'” (Oneonta). 

It is said that the public knew the scandalous truth: that the Aphrodite was modeled after a real woman, the artists courtesan. This helped the work grow in popularity as spectators insatiable minds, no-doubt, would have flooded in to see the sexual object of Praxiteles’ desire.

In Aphrodite of Knidos we see the goddess in the process of bathing, standing by a tall vase, with only a piece of drapery to cover her pubis. This imagery makes a direct connection to water, which is symbolic of Aphrodite’s origins, being born of the sea. 

Botticelli’s work is more straightforward as you see the goddess herself rising from the sea in the shell of a clam. Traditionally, it is thought that Aphrodite covers her pubis in a modest attempt, however, the Kinadian Aphrodite does not seem to cover herself in modesty, she seems to cover herself in fear, or maybe self-consciousness. We see this in her body language, the way she crouches slightly, pulls her legs together and turns her head to the side (Oneonta). 

“Praxiteles has created a goddess vulnerable in exhibition, whose primary definition is:

as one who does not wish to be seen…

The viewer's shameful desire to see matches the sculpture 'modest' desire to not be seen” 

The simple act of covering herself could also shed light on the vulnerability of women being victims of rape. Again, if we look at Botticelli’s work, a zephyr on the left side of the painting is shown wrapped around Flora. 

Legend has it that the zephyr “whisked” her away, married her and impregnated her, she had no choice in the matter. We can see reference to this story in another Botticelli work, Primavera. The maiden on the right is thought to be Horae, the goddess of the seasons. Horae welcomes Venus to the shore by offering the goddess clothing. Could this be a an allusion to the way women attempted to protect each other from the lustful, if not inappropriate, gazes of men, that could lead to a woman’s loss of innocence, and individuality? 

Unlike the Aphrodite of Knidos, who seems to be uncomfortable with a man gazing upon her body, the Venus in Botticelli’s work seems naive and unaware, even as she modestly covers her body. It seems that Horae prepares to warn her of the dangers of men upon the shore.

Botticelli’s use of curved lines and fine detail cause the viewer to look more intently and wonder what lies just beneath a softy painted hand. This Venus seems to represent purity and is often connected to the symbolism of the Virgin Mary (again, what is desirable to men). 

Praxiteles’ publicly known depiction of his lover as Aphrodite, creates an even more exotic impression of his work. 

Both works were created by, and made mostly for the amusement of men. By covering the pubis of Aphrodite/Venus, both artists have succeeded in making it the focal points of their pieces, and the most anticipated thing to see. 

Thus taking away from the woman herself as a living, breathing entity… she has merely become an object of sexual desire.

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Works Consulted

"Allegory of Spring or Primavera by Botticelli at Uffizi Gallery in Florence." Uffizi – Guide to Uffizi Gallery Museum. Web. 13 Dec. 2016.

"Aphrodite of Knidos and the Invention of the Female Nude in Greek Art " Aphrodite of Knidos. Suny Oneonta University. Web. 12 Dec. 2016.

“About This Artwork." Statue of the Aphrodite of Knidos | The Art Institute of Chicago. (ARTIC) Web. 12 Dec. 2016.

Bauer, Amanda. “Aphrodite of Knidos”. Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology & the Ancient World - Brown University. Web. 12 Dec 2016.

Havelock, Christine Mitchell. The Aphrodite of Knidos and Her Successors: A Historical Review of the Female Nude in Greek Art. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press, 1995.

Harris, Beth. Stephen Zucker. “Botticelli, the Birth of Venus, 1483-85” Smart History. 30 May 2012. Web. 12 Dec. 2016.

Scott, Michael. "The Scandal of Praxiteles' Aphrodite." History Extra. 1 Nov. 2010. Web. 13 Dec. 2016.