The Aphrodite of Knidos (or Cnidus) was an Ancient Greek sculpture of the goddess Aphrodite created by Praxiteles of Athens around the 4th century BC. It was one of the first life-sized representations of the nude female form in Greek history, …

The “Aphrodite of Knidos” is the most famous of Praxiteles’ works, and perhaps one of the most famous sculptures of Classical Greece. Contemporaries such as Pliny lauded the sculpture as “superior to all works, not only of Praxiteles, but indeed in the whole world.”

Jan 13, 2022 · “Aphrodite of Knidos” statue is a sculpture of Aphrodite, a Greek Goddess. The Aphrodite body type was a unique representation of classical female sculpture in the era of the portrayal of heroic male nudes.

This statue was inspired by the most famous Greek sculpture of a goddess, the Aphrodite of Knidos. Carved by the sculptor Praxiteles in the 4th century B.C. from fine marble, it enjoyed great renown as the first devotional statue of a female goddess in the nude.

The Aphrodite of Knidos is credited with being the first life-size female nude. Such was her novelty that the city of Kos on Crete is supposed to have rejected her in favour of a clothed version. The Knidians in Asia Minor were more daring and installed her in a round temple (tholos), where she became something of a celebrity.

Dec 16, 2024 · The fame of the Aphrodite of Knidos inspired numerous artists in antiquity to create copies and adaptations of Praxiteles’ masterpiece. These replicas aimed to capture the statue’s celebrated elegance, ensuring its influence endured even after the original was lost.

The Aphrodite of Knidos (or Cnidus) was an Ancient Greek sculpture of the goddess Aphrodite created by Praxiteles of Athens around the 4th century BC. It is one of the first life-sized representations of the nude female form in Greek history, …

Aphrodite of Knidos The Greeks were more used to images of naked men than women. So when the sculptor Praxiteles made a statue of the goddess Aphrodite in the nude it was seen as a daring innovation.

The Aphrodite of Knidos is considered to be the first ever full female nude in ancient Greek art. She stands with one hand holding a towel, the other loosely covering her genitals. Clearly the goddess is preparing to bathe, and the viewer has stumbled into a private moment.

While the draped statue was acquired by the inhabitants of Kos, the Knidians bought the one that showed Aphrodite nude, and which became more famous. At Knidos the statue stood in the center of Aphrodite's round temple, so that the statue could be viewed from all sides.