The greek goddess of love was aphrodite From goddesses to mortal women, the myths are full of stories exploring the complexities of female nudity and its associated feelings Her son eros pierced gods and humans alike with his love darts
Why Do Ancient Greeks Appear Always Naked?
The aphrodite of knidos is one famous depiction of the goddess of love, and was made by the sculptor praxiteles in the 4th century b.c.e
It is the first large nude statue of a female figure in the ancient world
Even centuries later writers were praising her sensuous aura These characteristics are rooted in gaia, mother earth, and aphrodite’s mother The female nude aphrodite of knidos by praxiteles gives the essence of the importance of nature due to the nudity portrayed by the goddess, and what better goddess to connect nature with than aphrodite, whose pure being permeates with nature. Heroic nudity implied the depiction of an ideal naked body as an allegory of a complex of the highest.
The nude figure exemplifies the greek principles of symmetry, balance, and proportion This hellenistic sculpture group shows the trojan priest laocoön and his sons being attacked by sea serpents The nudity emphasizes their muscular forms and heroic struggle. In the ancient myths of greece and rome, nudity was often a symbol of vulnerability, power and sensuality
Women’s shame about their nakedness is also explicitly addressed
