Forever Young a Study of the Correspondence Between Sculptures of Aphrodite and Venus and the Female Physical Ideal in Ancient Literature
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Department of archaeology and Ancient History Forever young A study of the correspondence between sculptures of Aphrodite and Venus and the female physical ideal in ancient literature Tobias Krönström Master thesis 45 hp in Classical Archaeology and Ancient history VT 2020 Supervisor: Patrik Klingborg Abstract Krönström, T. 2020. Forever young. A study of the correspondence between sculptures of Aphrodite and Venus and the female physical ideal in ancient literature. Krönström, T. 2020. För evigt ung. En studie över hur skulpturer av Afrodite och Venus och de textuella antika fysiska kvinnoidealen överensstämmer. This study aims to explore how the goddesses of beauty Aphrodite and Venus were portrayed in sculpture in comparison to physical beauty, as attested in ancient texts. The study uses iconography and iconology to analyse the sculptures and semiotics to analyse the ancient texts. In this study measurements were taken of Aphrodite and Venus sculptures at Berlin’s plaster museum (Abguss-Sammlung Antiker Plastik). The measurements were taken in order to compare the results from the ancient texts. In this study, 11 sculptures are analysed and compared to ancient texts from five different periods (700-400 BC, 400-1 BC, 1-200 AD, 200- 500 AD and unknown dates). The sculptures and the ancient texts are then compared to each other and then compared with modern studies about nakedness, physical appearance and beauty during antiquity. The results conclude that it is difficult to specify exact beauty ideals, but the study shows that women should be curvy, white and rosy, have firm breast and a lovely face, and that the sculptures follow that beauty ideal closely. Keywords: Venus, Aphrodite, beauty, sculpture, beauty ideals Masteruppsats i Antikens kultur och samhällsliv 45 hp. Handledare Patrik Klingborg. Ventilerad och godkänd 2020-06-01. © Tobias Krönström Institutionen för arkeologi och antik historia, Uppsala universitet, Box 626, 75126 Uppsala Sweden. Cover image: Venus Colonna, photograph taken by Tobias Krönström 21/2 2019. Acknowledgements Firstly, I would like to give many thanks my supervisor Patrik Klingborg, who has gone far beyond of what you can expect from a supervisor. I would like to thank Gunnel Ekroth as well, for her input in my study and for always being there to help me. Susanne Carlsson have also been a huge help in the making of this study. I would also like to thank Jessica-Therese Magnusson for her continual support. Contents 1. Introduction and aims ........................................................................................................................ 5 1.1. Method ....................................................................................................................................... 5 1.1.1. Copies – A Historical Overview ........................................................................................ 7 1.2. Theory ........................................................................................................................................ 8 1.2.1. Iconography ....................................................................................................................... 9 1.2.2. Iconology ........................................................................................................................... 9 1.2.3. Semiotics.......................................................................................................................... 10 1.2.4 Summary .......................................................................................................................... 11 1.3. Previous Research .................................................................................................................... 11 1.4. Mythological Background ....................................................................................................... 12 2. Analysing Sculptures ....................................................................................................................... 14 2.1. Measurements of the sculptures .............................................................................................. 14 2.2. Descriptions of the Sculptures ................................................................................................. 16 2.2.1. Frejus ............................................................................................................................... 17 2.2.2. Of Knidos......................................................................................................................... 18 2.2.3. Colonna ............................................................................................................................ 19 2.2.4. Medici .............................................................................................................................. 20 2.2.5. Capitoline ......................................................................................................................... 21 2.2.6. Kallipygos ........................................................................................................................ 22 2.2.7. Crouching ........................................................................................................................ 23 2.2.8. Capua ............................................................................................................................... 24 2.2.9. De Milo ............................................................................................................................ 25 2.2.10. Marcia Furnilla ............................................................................................................... 26 2.2.11. Esquiline ......................................................................................................................... 27 2.2.12. Summary of Eleven Sculptures ....................................................................................... 27 3. Literary Sources .............................................................................................................................. 28 3.1. 700–400 BC ............................................................................................................................. 28 3.2. 400–1 BC ................................................................................................................................. 29 3.3. 1–200 AD ................................................................................................................................ 31 3.4. 200–500 AD ............................................................................................................................ 33 3.5. Texts of uncertain dates ........................................................................................................... 34 3.6. Summary of the Literary Sources ............................................................................................ 35 4. Discussion ....................................................................................................................................... 37 4.1. Beauty...................................................................................................................................... 37 4.2. Art and Nudity Portrayed ........................................................................................................ 38 4.3. Sculptures – Greek vs Roman ................................................................................................. 39 4.4. Colour and Hair ....................................................................................................................... 40 4.5. Comparison of the Empirical Material .................................................................................... 41 4.6. Using proportions – The Case of Arles ................................................................................... 44 5. Conclusion -The Final Measurement .............................................................................................. 45 6. Bibliography .................................................................................................................................... 47 6.1. Ancient sources ....................................................................................................................... 47 6.2. Modern literature ..................................................................................................................... 49 6.3. Internet sources ....................................................................................................................... 50 Appendix – Photographs of Sculptures ............................................................................................... 52 1. Venus of Frejus ........................................................................................................................ 52 2. Aphrodite of Knidos ................................................................................................................ 53 3. Venus Colonna ........................................................................................................................ 54 4. Aphrodite Medici ..................................................................................................................... 55 5. Capitoline Venus ..................................................................................................................... 56 6. Aphrodite Kallipygos..............................................................................................................