A fairly well-known and mysterious statue was discovered in 1820 in April. This is Venus de Milo, famous all over the world. Later, the statue was transported to the Louvre, where it is admired and admired.
Were there hands
Most who have seen the statue wonder where the hands are. But this is not the only secret of the ancient find. The figure itself was found in a niche in the ancient city of Melos, near the village of Tripiti. Later, becoming interested in the sale of antiquities, the French officers agreed to sell it to Turkey. There are many statements related to the state of the sculpture, but they are all contradictory. It is said that during the discovery of the two parts of the statue, there was also a left hand holding an apple. What happened to this part remains a mystery.
The traveler Jules Dumont-Durville wrote that the marble statue allegedly had both arms, but they broke off during transportation. But, most likely, this is just a fantasy, refuted by another officer who saw the statue after it was found.
The sculpture was brought to the territory of France and transferred to the possession of King Louis XVIII. Later, Venus was sent to the Louvre, where, during the restoration, they created her hands from plaster, looking at the statue, they criticized the idea. Therefore, we decided to leave only the restoration of the nose.
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From whose image the creation
Some believe that the sculpture resembles Aphrodite. This is explained by the half-nakedness of the figure, but it is impossible to say with great certainty. Therefore, her real name is still a mystery.
There are also many hypotheses regarding the position of the hands. Some put forward the version that the goddess held on to the pillar, others that the elbow was on the shoulder of the famous god Ares. There is an opinion that she had different objects in her hands, and depending on them it could be an image of Artemis, Danaida or the goddess of the seas Amphitrite.
Who is the author of the mysterious sculpture
At first, it was believed that the creator of the statue was the very famous sculptor of ancient Greece Praxitel. Since Venus is similar to the statue of Aphrodite of Cnidus, which was created by him. But then the authorship was attributed to Alexander of Antioch, whose data were found on the pedestal.
The statue has features that are characteristic of the ancient classical period. The harmony of the face, an aloof calm look, is characteristic of the 5th century BC.
All the details worked out to the smallest detail are brought together by the work with the sculptor Praxitel. But this cannot be said for sure.
About the statue
Researchers say that in antiquity, the statue of Venus de Milo was indisputably painted in bright colors, traces of which were found in the folds in her clothes. Also on the shoulder were found marks left from the bracelet, and grooves from the necklace are visible on the neck. Earlobes were broken off by robbers in ancient times in order to pull out earrings.
The popularity of the statue of Venus de Milo was largely derived not from its beauty, but from the halo of secrets circling over its origin. Until now, researchers continue to put forward new versions of her real name and the location of her hands.