Sandal loosening Aphrodite (Berlin SK 23)
The type of sandal loosening Aphrodite is widespread in late Hellenistic and Roman art. In the Antikensammlung Berlin in the Altes Museum there is a variant in the form of a marble statuette from the end of the 2nd century BC. Chr.
The theme of Aphrodite loosening the sandals was varied in numerous versions over several centuries. There are smaller and larger statues and statuettes, some made of marble, others made of bronze or terracotta . It is difficult to reconstruct where the original type of representation comes from. Its creation is believed to be in the late 3rd century BC. In western Asia Minor, possibly in Pergamon or Knidos .
The naked goddess Aphrodite is shown at the moment when she takes off her sandal before taking a bath. She stands on her right leg and has lifted and bent the left leg so that it crosses the standing leg. With her right hand she loosens the sandal, with her left hand she holds on to a Priapos herme so as not to lose her balance . In other versions of the statue, she balances these standing problems with her left arm, but such a representation in marble is difficult. The head is turned slightly and the goddess looks directly at the possible viewer. In preparation for the bath, she tied the hair in a bun on the back of the head and in a bow on the front of the head. Behind the herm is her robe that has just been removed.
Thus, only a short moment is shown, a tense moment, which also contains an undeniable erotic component that is increased by the "contortions" of Aphrodite. The left leg of the sculpture is missing below the knee, as is the right arm from just below the shoulder, which is why the actual content of the picture, the loosening of the sandal, is no longer recognizable. Stylistic comparisons of the head allow the 64 cm high statuette to be dated towards the end of the 2nd century BC. It was found in Aigion .
It was acquired for Berlin in 1884 from the Sabouroff collection .
literature
- Max Kunze : Aphrodite loosing sandals. In: State Museums in Berlin. Prussian cultural property. Antikensammlung (Ed.): The Antikensammlung in the Pergamon Museum and in Charlottenburg. = The Berlin Collection of Antiquities. von Zabern, Mainz 1992, ISBN 3-8053-1187-7 , p. 183.
Remarks
- ↑ Inventory number Berlin, Antikensammlung Sk 23.
Web links
- Internet catalog of the Berlin sculptures in the archaeological database Arachne
Coordinates: 52 ° 31 '15 " N , 13 ° 23' 47" E