Venus

Description

Cattaneo's Venus is reminiscent of the ancient Aphrodite of Knidos by Praxiteles (Greek, c. 375–340 BC), as Venus holds her drapery in her right hand, leaving her body fully exposed. This work recalls Cattaneo's bronze sculptures of goddesses with the unbalanced curvature of the body and elaborately sculpted hair. Along with the hands and feet, the back of the figure is largely unfinished, indicating that it probably originally stood against a wall or in a niche.

Provenance

Hans Gutmann (Vienna, Austria); Erich Lederer (Geneva, Switzerland), sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art, 1950.

Venus

Danese Cattaneo

c. 1560

Accession Number

1950.578

Medium

bronze

Dimensions

Overall: 52.9 x 20 x 12 cm (20 13/16 x 7 7/8 x 4 3/4 in.)

Classification

Sculpture

Museum

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Cleveland, United States

Credit Line

John L. Severance Fund