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36-427: It shows the goddess rising from her bath (with a column on the right on the piece, to her left-hand side, with her towel or clothing draped over it). It lost both arms in antiquity and her nose has been restored, but is otherwise complete (including an elaborate ancient hairstyle popular amongst classical upper-class women, with locks falling down onto her shoulders, and an original ankle bracelet on her left ankle). It

72-535: A canon for the proportions of the female nude, and inspired many copies, the best of which is considered to be the Colonna Knidia in the Vatican's Pio-Clementine Museum . A Roman copy, it is not thought to match the polished beauty of the original, which was destroyed in a disastrous fire at Constantinople in 475. According to Athenaeus and the late-antique rhetorician Choricius of Gaza , Praxiteles used

108-524: A polis . How elaborate the statue was, varied. Korai demonstrated individual wealth and status because they were fairly expensive to create and limited to the upper class. To indicate their wealth, elite Greeks had their statues decorated in paint and jewels. An example of a kore used as a votive offering is the Antenor Kore that was dedicated by Nearkhos . Ancient Greeks also used korai for funerary purposes. They were grave markers and offerings for

144-466: A cliff near the edge of the temple. This story is recorded in the dialogue Erotes (section 15), traditionally attributed to Lucian of Samosata . The Knidian Aphrodite has not survived. Possibly the statue was removed to Constantinople (modern Istanbul ), where it was housed in the Palace of Lausus ; in 475, the palace burned and the statue was lost. It was one of the most widely copied statues in

180-404: A young age. Kouroi  are the youthful male equivalent of kore statues. Korai show the restrained " archaic smile ", which did not demonstrate emotion. It was the symbol of the ideal, transcending the hardships of the world. Unlike the nude kouroi, korai are depicted in thick and sometimes elaborate drapery. As fashions changed, so did the type of clothing they wore. Over time, korai went from

216-406: Is another example of polychromy being an important part of the korai. When the sculptor designed this kore, the marble was incised, creating a light relief of a pattern. This is evident with the rosette and meander patterning in the dress. The technique used was common among sculptors when planning out the coloring of the finished product. Color was also an indicator of wealth. The more prestigious

252-593: Is attributed to Plato: When Cypris saw Cypris at Cnidus, "Alas!" said she; "where did Praxiteles see me naked?" According to an epigram from Roman poet Ausonius , Praxiteles never saw what he was not meant to see, but instead sculpted Aphrodite as Ares would have wanted. The temple of Aphrodite in Knidos where the statue was displayed is described by two ancient sources, Pliny the Elder in his Natural History and Pseudo-Lucian in his Amores . According to Pliny,

288-616: Is no longer in existence; however, many Roman copies survive of this influential work of art. Variants of the Venus Pudica (suggesting an action to cover the breasts) are the Venus de' Medici and the Capitoline Venus . The Aphrodite of Knidos was a marble carving of the goddess Aphrodite by the sculptor Praxiteles , which was bought by the people of Knidos in the middle of the 4th century BC. The earliest text to mention

324-523: Is not of the Knidia , but of a different statue. As well as more or less faithful copies, the Aphrodite of Knidos also influenced various variations, which include: Kore (sculpture) Kore  ( Greek : κόρη "maiden"; plural  korai ) is the modern term given to a type of free-standing  ancient Greek sculpture  of the  Archaic period  depicting female figures, always of

360-618: Is slighter in build and of a more refined beauty than the exemplar). It was ceded by Pope Clement XI to Peter I in Rome in 1718, after protracted diplomatic negotiations: though a peasant had offered it to the Czar's agent, the Pope had vetoed the exportation; he relented only when the Czar proposed to exchange it with the relics of Bridget of Sweden ; they were in Revel, today called Tallinn , which

396-523: Is that not all of the statues share similar characteristics. If they represented a specific deity, then each kore would share traits to identify them as that particular individual. This became evident about the korai found at the Acropolis in Athens. Not all of the korai could be identified as Athena, the patron goddess, because of their unique characteristics. According to Henri Lechat, in order for all of

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432-499: The courtesan Phryne as the model for the Aphrodite, though Clement of Alexandria instead names the model as Cratina. The statue became so widely known and copied that in a humorous anecdote the goddess Aphrodite herself came to Knidos to see it. A lyric epigram of Antipater of Sidon places a hypothetical question on the lips of the goddess herself: Paris , Adonis , and Anchises saw me naked, Those are all I know of, but how did Praxiteles contrive it? A similar epigram

468-465: The 4th century BC. It was one of the first life-sized representations of the nude female form in Greek history, displaying an alternative idea to male heroic nudity . Praxiteles' Aphrodite was shown nude, reaching for a bath towel while covering her pubis , which, in turn leaves her breasts exposed. Up until this point, Greek sculpture had been dominated by male nude figures. The original Greek sculpture

504-517: The Acropolis (see: Perserschutt ). It was believed they did this to rid the reminder of the act of barbarianism done by the Persians and allow Athens to rebuild. The kore statue had two main purposes. Korai were used as votive offerings to deities, mainly goddesses such as Athena and Artemis. Both men and women offered the kore statues. Korai not only acted as an offering to a deity, but could be used to show off economic and social standing within

540-605: The Aphrodite is Pliny the Elder 's Natural History , which reports that Praxiteles carved two sculptures of Aphrodite, one clothed and one nude; the clothed one was bought by the people of Kos and the Knidians bought the nude one. The statue was set up as the cult statue for the Temple of Aphrodite at Knidos . It depicted the goddess Aphrodite as she prepared for the ritual bath that restored her purity, discarding her drapery with one hand, while modestly shielding herself with

576-570: The Archaic korai lasted between about sixth century to fifth century BC. Similar to the kouroi, historians believe that the korai was influenced by Egyptian convention. Since ancient Greeks and Egyptians had relations with one another, artistic influence was possible. Korai have been found throughout Greece, such as in Athens , Ionia , Cyclades , and Corinth . This demonstrates that korai were not regionally isolated. The largest excavation of korai

612-487: The Peplos Kore was wearing a regular peplos, but in fact she was wearing an ependytes with animal friezes. This type of Oriental prestige garment was usually reserved for goddesses. Art historians debate whether the Peplos Kore is Artemis or the patron goddess of the Acropolis, Athena. The evidence leans toward the goddess Artemis, but without the true coloring it is difficult to say for sure. The Phrasikleia Kore

648-522: The Russians had just conquered. On its arrival in Russia two years later it was the first classical sculpture to be seen in that country. This article about a sculpture in Russia is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Aphrodite of Cnidus The Aphrodite of Knidos (or Cnidus) was an Ancient Greek sculpture of the goddess Aphrodite created by Praxiteles of Athens around

684-470: The ancient world, so a general idea of the appearance of the statue can be gleaned from the descriptions and replicas that have survived to the modern day. For a time in 1969, the archaeologist Iris Love thought she had found the only surviving fragments of the original statue, which are now in storage at the British Museum . The prevailing opinion of archaeologists is that the fragment in question

720-702: The deceased. It is suggested by historians that the funerary kore portray the appearance of the dead. This became evident with their names being inscribed on the bases of the statues. An example would be the statue of Phrasikleia unearthed from the Meogeia plain in Attica. The statue marked the grave of a young unwed girl according to the inscription found on the base. Whether korai were given as votive offerings or grave markers, according to historian Robin Osborne, they were allegoric symbols as “tokens of exchange”. Unlike

756-407: The heavy peplos to lighter garments such as the chiton . Their posture is rigid and column-like, sometimes with an extended arm. Some korai were painted colorfully to enhance the visual impact of the garments and for narrative purposes. There are multiple theories on whether the korai represent mortals or deities. Korai also functioned as offerings to the deities or the dead. The duration of

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792-429: The identities of the korai statues, but they have theories of whom they might be. There are two theories that many historians are in agreement on for identification: the "divinities" theory and "agalmata" theory. The "divinities" theory suggests that the korai represent goddesses, nymphs, and other types of female deities. This theory could only be true for some of the statues. The problem historians have with this theory

828-473: The korai to be goddesses, they would all be different female deities. That would be more divine beings than Greeks had in their pantheon . However, some of the korai are divine figures, such as the Nikandre Kore as a statue of Artemis. The agalmata theory proposes that many korai are generic maidens who represent the Archaic ideal of female beauty. Those maidens could be the priestesses, the donor of

864-445: The nude and distant kouroi, korai are completely clothed and engage with their viewer. Their arm is extended and offers gifts of fruit, flowers, and birds. Patrons used korai as offerings to the deities or the dead. Korai symbolize their function by narrating the scene of exchange. Identification has not been an easy task because of time or the lack of context for many korai. It has been difficult for historians and scholars to determine

900-443: The other. The placement of her hands obscures her pubic area, while simultaneously drawing attention to her exposed upper body. The statue is famed for its beauty, and is designed to be appreciated from every angle. Because the various copies show different body shapes, poses and accessories, the original can only be described in general terms. It depicted a nude woman, the body twisting in a contrapposto position, with its weight on

936-481: The patrons was that if the korai were pleasurable to look at, then it would please the deity as well.  Originally, many of the korai were polychrome . Greeks used color to depict narrative value, characterize individuals, and create meaning behind korai. Color was used to create patterns on the clothing of the korai. One example of patterning is seen on the Peplos Kore . Historians originally believed that

972-478: The remains of a round building which she identified as the temple of Aphrodite. This included a stone inscribed with the letters PRAX, which Love suggested was a statue base for the Knidian Aphrodite. The statue became a tourist attraction in spite of being a cult image , and a patron of the Knidians. Nicomedes I of Bithynia offered to pay off the enormous debts of the city of Knidos in exchange for

1008-426: The right foot. Most copies show Aphrodite covering her pubic area with her right hand, while the left holds drapery which, along with a vase, helps support the figure. Almost all copies show the head of the sculpture turning to the left. The female nude appeared nearly three centuries after the earliest nude male counterparts in Greek sculpture, the kouros ; the female kore figures were clothed. Previously nudity

1044-423: The sculpture was housed in a small building, open on all sides – by which he likely meant a monopteros , a colonnade with a roof but no walls. In the description given by Pseudo-Lucian, on the other hand, the building which housed the statue is described as having two doors, and suggests a more confined space than Pliny's description. In excavations at Knidos between 1969 and 1972, Iris Love discovered

1080-401: The statue, but the Knidians rejected his offer. The statue would have been polychromed , and was so lifelike that it even aroused men sexually, as witnessed by the tradition that a young man broke into the temple at night and attempted to copulate with the statue, leaving a stain on it. An attendant priestess told visitors that upon being discovered, he was so ashamed that he hurled himself over

1116-412: The statue, or young girls who served the goddess. The agalmata theory accepts that some, but not all of the korai might be goddesses or other female divinities. Art historian Jeffery M. Hurwit suggests that the generic maidens were symbols for ideal beauty that embellished the sanctuaries and pleased the deities. Their presence is meant to be a delightful gift for spectators to gaze upon. The main idea for

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1152-455: The study of Greco-Roman art history in 1755, held the belief that color in ancient sculpture was inferior and spoiled the purely white marble. This bias persists into the present day. Scientists and art historians counter this bias by providing evidence of visible remaining colors through microscopy and pigment analysis, ultraviolet fluorescence and reflection, and raking light. Vinzenz Brinkmann and his colleagues have been working to recreate

1188-646: The use of color indicated a higher social position due to the high cost of dyes. Clothes in bright colors were more expensive. In addition, color was used to depict jewelry or gems graphically on a kore. If the patron was wealthy, the sculptors could use jewelry and metals as aspects of their sculpture. There is an aesthetic misconception that the sculptures were pure white marble. Since the times of Michelangelo, it has been believed that ancient Greek and Roman sculptures were sculpted to be only white marble. This stereotype influenced many viewers of ancient art and created biases. Johann Joachim Winckelmann , who pioneered

1224-458: Was a heroic uniform assigned only to men. When making the Aphrodite of Knidos, Spivey argues that her iconography can be attributed to Praxiteles creating the statue for the intent of being viewed by male onlookers. Overwhelming evidence from aggregations suggests that the Knidian sculpture was meant to evoke male responses of sexuality upon viewing the statue. The Aphrodite of Knidos established

1260-536: Was at the Acropolis of Athens in the 1880s. They served their purpose as votive offerings to the patron goddess, Athena, on the Acropolis throughout the sixth and early fifth century BC. However, in 480/479 BC, Persians attacked and desecrated the city of Athens including the Acropolis and many of its statues. After the attack the Athenians buried the korai, whether or not they were broken, in "graveyards" on

1296-528: Was thought to be a 2nd-century AD Roman copy from a Greek original, but recent research suggests it is in fact a Greek original dating from the 3rd or 2nd century BC. It is by an unknown sculptor, who takes inspiration from the Aphrodite of Cnidus (particularly of the Capitoline Venus type) but does not follow it strictly (the Tauride Venus, though well-proportioned and fully nude as in the exemplar,

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