Venus Genetrix

The Venus Genetrix is a sculpture attributed to the Greek sculptor Callimachus, who flourished in the 5th century BCE. While no original works by Callimachus survive, he is credited with inventing the Corinthian capital and is associated with the Venus Genetrix sculpture, a Roman replica of which is housed in the Louvre.1

The goddess Venus, originally an Italian deity of cultivated fields, was later identified with the Greek goddess of love, Aphrodite. The title "Genetrix," meaning "Begetting Mother," was particularly associated with Venus and was the focus of a temple dedicated by Julius Caesar. This sculpture represents Venus in her role as a mother goddess.2