Aphrodite Of Mellos Analysis

Ancient Greece is considered by many to be the foundation of Western society. It was the birthplace of democracy, Olympic sports, and also many of the styles of art we know and celebrate today. In fact, the Greeks were able to develop a mastery of their art that is still admired and sought after to this day. The Aphrodite of Melos, is an astounding sculpture that exemplifies this skill while carrying a powerful message along with it. The piece was created during the Hellenistic Period in Ancient Greece. This period began after the death of Alexander the Great where his vast territory was divided amongst his 3 generals. Despite what efforts were made by the generals to maintain the previous power of their late ruler, the land fell into a time of great political instability and general unrest amongst the public. However, along with the increasing instability there was an increasing emergence of fantastic art being produced by those trying to make sense of their world, and express themselves. …show more content…
While both sculptures were done in marble the Knidos was done in 350 BCE and the Melos in the Hellenistic period between 150-100 BCE. The later was intended to recall this piece while presenting itself in a manner appropriate for the period. The main differences in the statues had to do with how they carried themselves. In the earlier version, Aphrodite was shown fully nude in a forward facing position of modesty, whereas in the second version she was shown in a twisting stance with drapery seeming to fall off of her. This type of dramatic art was very common in this period. Instead of being fully nude, the drapes seem to be barely covering her and almost falling off adding an element of “erotic tension” (Stokstad 123). Along with this the body language is much less submissive, and the gaze of the piece seems to be less embraced and almost