Venus and Aphrodite are the same goddess: Aphrodite is her Greek name, Venus her Roman one. She is the deity of love, beauty and desire, and for more than two thousand years she has been one of artists' favourite subjects. Here is her story, her symbols and the works that made her immortal.
Two different births
The myth tells of Aphrodite's birth in two ways.
- Born from the sea. According to the poet Hesiod, Aphrodite rose from the sea foam (Greek aphrós) formed after the Titan Cronus maimed his father Uranus. She emerged from the waves fully grown and came ashore on Cyprus, which is why she is also called "the Cyprian".
- Daughter of Zeus. According to Homer, she was instead the daughter of Zeus and the goddess Dione.
The first version, the goddess rising from the sea, inspired Sandro Botticelli's The Birth of Venus in the Uffizi in Florence, with the goddess standing on a large shell.
Loves and children
Aphrodite was married to Hephaestus, the blacksmith god, but her great love was Ares, the god of war. Her children include Eros, the Romans' Cupid, and the Trojan hero Aeneas, born of her union with the mortal Anchises. That's why the Romans considered Venus the ancestress of their people.
The Judgement of Paris
One of the most famous episodes is the Judgement of Paris. At a banquet, the goddess of discord threw a golden apple inscribed "to the fairest". Hera, Athena and Aphrodite all claimed it, and the Trojan prince Paris was chosen to decide. Aphrodite promised him the love of the most beautiful woman in the world, Helen, and won. Helen's abduction sparked the Trojan War.
The symbols of Venus and Aphrodite
- The shell. A reminder of her birth from the sea.
- The rose. The flower of love and beauty, sacred to her.
- The dove. A symbol of love and gentleness, often shown beside the goddess.
- Myrtle. The plant dedicated to her, also used in bridal wreaths.
- The apple. The prize of the Judgement of Paris.
- The mirror. An emblem of beauty; the female symbol (♀) is still often linked to the mirror of Venus.
Venus in art
Besides Botticelli's painting, famous examples include the Venus de Milo, the armless Greek statue in the Louvre in Paris, and Antonio Canova's Venus Italica in the Palazzo Pitti. In classical sculpture Venus is often shown with the typical S-curve of the body, drapery slipping over her hips and a calm, inward expression.
Venus today
Venus remains the symbol of beauty in all its forms and a perfect gift for Valentine's Day, anniversaries or simply for lovers of classical art. A statue of her brings elegance and harmony to the home, in neoclassical and minimalist interiors alike.
A Venus statue for your home
We have reinterpreted the goddess in many versions, all hand-finished in Turin. Our Venus "The Silence of Aphrodite" in matte white resin takes the classic S-curve in a minimalist direction, while the Venus on a shell with a rose in white plaster effect brings together all her symbols: the shell, the rose and the little bird. Find all the others, from busts to black versions, in the Venus & Aphrodite collection.