Panel of Venus, “Pudica Type”
Carved in relief on the convex side of a bone panel, a nude female figure stands in contrapposto with her left leg bent and left hip rotated inward. Turning her face as if to avoid our gaze, she reaches her right hand across her body to hide her breasts while her left hand covers her groin. A large cloth falls behind her body in loose folds, exposing her nakedness. This pose is known as the Venus Pudica, or "modest Venus," and refers to the ancient Greek type of female nude.
Artwork Details
- Title: Panel of Venus, “Pudica Type”
- Date: 4th–6th century
- Geography: Made in Egypt
- Culture: Late Roman/Early Byzantine
- Medium: Bone
- Dimensions: 3 1/8 × 1 9/16 in. (8 × 4 cm)
- Classification: Ivories-Bone
- Credit Line: Bequest of Nanette B. Kelekian, 2020
- Object Number: 2021.37.4
- Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters
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