Aphrodite of Cnidus

The Aphrodite of Cnidus was commissioned for the Temple of Aphrodite at Cnidus to a sculptor named Praxiteles . Earlier nudity was a heroic depiction reserved only for males and this was one of the first female nudes to ever be made. It depicted the goddess Aphrodite preparing for the ritual bath that restored her purity. Aphrodite was the ancient Greek goddess of sexual love and beauty and is known as Venus among the Romans. In classical Greece, beauty standards were such that men kept their hair long and styled it, but women were expected to cut their hair off upon marriage and to keep it short for the rest of their lives. Facial symmetry , full breasts , a muscular frame , sometimes even ...View all