Venus de Milo

The Venus de Milo (də_ˈmaɪloʊ,_də_ˈmiːloʊ ; Aphrodítē tēs Mḗlou) or Aphrodite of Melos is an ancient Greek sculpture that was created during the Hellenistic period. It is one of the most famous works of ancient Greek sculpture, having been prominently displayed at the Louvre Museum since shortly after the statue was rediscovered on the island of Milos, Greece, in 1820. The Venus de Milo is believed to depict Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, whose Roman counterpart was Venus. Made of Parian marble, the statue is larger than life size, standing over high. The statue is missing both arms, with part of one arm, as well as the original plinth, being lost after the statue's rediscovery. The Venus de Milo is an over tall Parian marble statue of a Greek goddess, most likely Aphrodite, depicted with a bare torso and drapery over the lower half of her body. The figure's head is turned to the left. The statue is missing both arms, the left foot, and the earlobes. There is a filled hole below her right breast that originally contained a metal tenon that would have supported the right arm. The Venus' flesh is polished smooth, but chisel marks are still visible on other surfaces. The Venus de Milo was discovered on 8 April 1820 by a Greek farmer on the island of Milos. Olivier Voutier, a French sailor interested in archaeology, witnessed the discovery and encouraged the farmer to continue digging. Voutier and the farmer uncovered two large pieces of the sculpture and a third, smaller piece. A fragment of an arm, a hand holding an apple, and two herms were also found alongside the statue. Two inscriptions were also apparently found with the Venus: one, transcribed by Dumont D'Urville, commemorates a dedication by one Bakchios son of Satios; the other, recorded on a drawing made by Auguste Debay, names Alexandros of Antioch. Both inscriptions are now lost. Other sculptural fragments found around the same time include a third herm, two further arms, and a foot with sandal.