Riley Vaccarino
Venus de Milos
Class of: 2028
Major: Strategic Design and Management BBA
Medium: Written PDF, Graphite on paper
Faculty: Krista Johansson
Prompt: For this assignment, “A Guide to the Perplexed,” we were asked to select an ancient object from Prehistory to the Renaissance in Europe that we could study in detail with the aim of creating a visual and written narrative about the object’s story. The project required us to provide a sense of our artistic vision, while also offering a sense of the scholarly research conducted in making the chosen narrative come to life. The choice of medium was open but in the end, we were to submit both a written and visual element.
For this project, I chose one of the most widely recognized depictions of the goddess Aphrodite, the Venus de Milos. I have always been fascinated with this sculpture and knew little about her besides her mysticism and the public’s fascination with her missing limbs. Through my research, I explored how its history and true nature were corrupted and rife with contradictions. I also delved into the historical and current interpretations of her true identity, despite being recognized globally as a “Venus” that was never confirmed. For my visual element, I completed a series of studies of this marble statue as a way to understand better the complexity of its form as well as hypothetical interpretations and elements missing in her current state. Finally, I examined and analyzed the effect of the destructive actions taken by the Louvre Museum to sway the public’s perception of the history of the sculpture for monetary profit and to amplify the public’s fascination with the Louvre.