Comparing The Greek Bronze Statue Of Aphrodite With Silver Eyes

The Greek “Bronze Statue of Aphrodite with Silver Eyes” was originally created in the 3rd to 1st century B.C.E., during the Hellenistic period, by an unknown artist. It was cast in bronze and can now be found at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, New York. The statue is only 8 ¼” tall, or 20.9 cm. The Goddess is shown as nude, as was typical for the Hellenistic period for the Greek Goddesses. Aphrodite is shown holding an apple in her hand with her body in contrapposto and the same side the weight is shifted towards the head is turned looking at the apple in her right hand as she seems to be contemplating the gift she has just received.

The apple that Aphrodite is holding in her hand was given to her by the Trojan Prince, Paris, for being the most beautiful Goddess. In exchange for Paris claiming her to be the most beautiful Goddess, Aphrodite gave Paris the most beautiful woman in the world, Hellen of Sparta, daughter of Zeus, who was married to King Menelaus (Martin). Aphrodite holding and looking at the apple presented in her hand is very common of the Hellenistic period because she is interacting with her environment. By looking down at the apple the artist wanted to portray that she is thinking about the gift that she has just been given. The sculpture is freestanding, as you can

move all around the sculpture and it is not supported by anything.
The sculpture is representational, as it represents a recognizable human female figure, with breasts exposed and long tied-up hair.

For the Hellenistic period this image is exceptionally idealized, as it represents the perfect female figure in society at the time. Because Aphrodite was the Goddess of love and beauty the way that she is portrayed in this piece is a representation of the qualities which she is the patron for – curves, nudity (beauty), and the pubic triangle (fertility). While her right hand is holding the apple she is using her other hand to reach for the piece of cloth that appears to be falling or sliding off of her, which can be a portrayal of

modesty.
The artist used the medium of bronze, as it helps to make the figure appear more lifelike. The clothing wrapped around Aphrodite is folded, as if falling off, and the shine of the metal allows for more highlights and shadows to be cast onto the figure. The bronze also emphasizes the texture of the hair by adding a more dramatic effect with the extreme contrast it provides.
The Bronze Statue of Aphrodite with Silver Eyes represents the vanity that Aphrodite possess. She has just been given the title of the most beautiful Goddess and the apple is a symbol of that beauty. It is possible that her clothes have fallen off of her because she was in deep thought or was mesmerized by the idea that she is now claimed to be the most beautiful. Before the Hellenistic Period the Apple was never shown in Greek art. A reason for that may be that the artist felt it was necessary to show how much Aphrodite praised her beauty and how much it meant to her to be beautiful.
I chose this piece because I believe that Aphrodite is beautiful in every artwork she is portrayed in. She was the Greek Goddess of Beauty but she was not portrayed as unachievable as the beauty standards of today are. I believe that Aphrodite is a representation of a normal looking adult female and yet is thought by so many to be the most beautiful woman or goddess in history.