SAN ANTONIO, TX.- The first female nude. The first kiss. Beauty, marriage, children, myth—Aphrodite played a leading role in all of it. Her story and image have been a vibrant part of Western art for more than 2,500 years. Aphrodite and the Gods of Love is the first exhibition to consider how visual representations of Aphrodite evolved across antiquity—an evolution that serves as a key to understanding her complex identity. While best known as the goddess of love and beauty and a catalyst of the Trojan War, to the ancient Greeks (and Romans, who knew her as Venus), Aphrodite was much more: seductress, instigator of desire, mother, wife, lover, patroness of brides, seafarers, warriors, and civic leaders. All of this is revealed through different media—sculpture, ceramics, jewelry, votives, mirrors—in this groundbreaking exhibition. Organized by the Museum |
