Aphrodite of Cnidus

sculpture by Praxiteles

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June 23, 2026

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The Aphrodite of Cnidus was a renowned marble sculpture created by the 4th-century BCE Greek artist Praxiteles. This artwork was celebrated as a masterpiece, with the Roman author Pliny the Elder considering it the finest statue in the world.12

A significant innovation of the Aphrodite of Cnidus was its depiction of the goddess Aphrodite in the nude, which was a bold departure from earlier artistic conventions. The sculpture was purchased by the people of Cnidus, an ancient Greek city on the coast of Anatolia. Reproductions of this statue can be found on Roman coins, and several copies exist in museums, including the Vatican Museum and the Louvre. The Aphrodite of Cnidus served as a model for later Hellenistic sculptures, such as the famous Venus de Milo.134

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Praxiteles
His most-celebrated work was the Aphrodite of Cnidus, which the Roman author Pliny the Elder considered not only the finest statue by Praxiteles but the best in the whole world. The goddess is shown naked, a bold innovation at the time. From reproductions of this statue on Roman coins numerous…
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His most-celebrated work was the Aphrodite of Cnidus, which the Roman author Pliny the Elder considered not only the finest statue by Praxiteles but the best in the whole world. The goddess is shown naked, a bold innovation at the time. From reproductions of this statue on Roman coins numerous…
Read More

Aphrodite
In art and culture
The first full-scale female nude, it later became the model for such Hellenistic masterpieces as the Venus de Milo (2nd century bce). Sandro Botticelli’s Birth of Venus (c. 1485) is one of the most famous paintings in the world and depicts the goddess on the seashore, having…
Read More
The first full-scale female nude, it later became the model for such Hellenistic masterpieces as the Venus de Milo (2nd century bce). Sandro Botticelli’s Birth of Venus (c. 1485) is one of the most famous paintings in the world and depicts the goddess on the seashore, having…
Read More