Harvard Art Museums > 1998.238: Venus with Apple Sculpture Collections Search Exit Deep Zoom Mode Zoom Out Zoom In Reset Zoom Full Screen Add to Collection Order Image Copy Link Copy Citation Citation"Venus with Apple , 1998.238,” Harvard Art Museums collections online, Apr 27, 2024, https://hvrd.art/o/218098. Reuse via IIIF Toggle Deep Zoom Mode Download This object does not yet have a description. Identification and Creation Object Number 1998.238 Title Venus with Apple Classification Sculpture Work Type statuette, sculpture Date 1st century BCE Places Creation Place: Ancient & Byzantine World, Africa, Egypt (Ancient) Period Roman Republican period Culture Roman Persistent Link https://hvrd.art/o/218098 Physical Descriptions Medium Alabaster Technique Carved Dimensions 15.9 x 7.1 x 4.5 cm (6 1/4 in., 1 3/4 in.) Provenance Recorded Ownership History said to be found in Egypt Acquisition and Rights Credit Line Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, The Lois Orswell Collection Accession Year 1998 Object Number 1998.238 Division Asian and Mediterranean Art Contact am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu Permissions The Harvard Art Museums encourage the use of images found on this website for personal, noncommercial use, including educational and scholarly purposes. To request a higher resolution file of this image, please submit an online request. Descriptions Description Small alabaster statuette of Venus. Broken at collarbone, missing neck and head. The lower part of her body draped, beginning at upper thighs. In the back, it begins below her buttocks. Her right arm is raised at her breast, holding an apple or pomegranate. Her left hand holds the drapery and an object now lost. The workmanship is rough, and the statue has abrasions and discoloration on the back and at the base. There is a deep gouge, probably intentional, between her two bare feet. Commentary LIVE LIKE A ROMAN: DAILY LIFE OBJECT COLLECTION The most popular themes for Roman sculpture were deities and emperors. These statues were often idealized, meaning that they did not necessarily represent the emperor or ruling family to the exact detail. Sometimes emperors preferred to be depicted as younger, larger, or more intimidating than they actually were. The same problem is found with deities; these statues were imagined, idealized images of fictional beings, so no two statues are going to be the same. However, because of the long tradition of stone work the Romans had to build upon, many characteristics remain the same. We can infer that Roman artists projected a shared view of humanity upon their sculpture, and by looking at the work modern audiences are able to glean insight into how Romans looked or at least how they wanted to be seen. Sculpture in the Roman world was most often executed in marble. However, this goddess statuette is made of alabaster, which helps in identifying its provenance as Egypt. [Jessica Pesce 7/2010] Publication History Marjorie B. Cohn and Sarah Kianovsky, Lois Orswell, David Smith, and Modern Art, exh. cat., Harvard University Art Museums (Cambridge, MA, 2002), cat. no. 312, p. 364 Verification Level This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
