Praxiteles's Knidia : the statue and its reception

• Main Author: Pickup, Sadie
• Published: University of Oxford 2012
• Subjects: 733.3
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.553059

The Aphrodite of Cnidus (Knidia) dates from the mid-fourth century BC and is the first over life-size female nude in western art. Shown with attributes of a vessel and drapery, the goddess apparently shields her nudity by drawing her right hand across her groin. The original no longer survives, destroyed by fire in the fifth century AD; nevertheless the Knidia is one of the foremost works from antiquity, as a similar image is unknown on this scale in marble before and because of the notoriety of its sculptor Praxiteles. Its emergence should be viewed against the representation of Aphrodite and other female figures earlier and also other works by Praxiteles. A replica (the Jenkins Venus) was sold at Christie's auction house for a record sum in 2002, reflecting not only its quality and beauty, but also the Knidia 's ongoing ability to inspire interest. Reception of the figure occurs almost without interruption during and post antiquity in both literature and art, indicated by the numerous copies and replicas of the work and the reaction they provoke, not through the general presentation of AphroditeN enus. Central to this examination is the longevity of the work and its manifestation in different periods, places and contexts, not only because of its nakedness, but also its ambiguity, unclear whether Aphrodite attempts to hide her undress, or draw attention to the source of her power and sexuality, making the image equally appropriate as one of shame or veneration.