Statue of The 'Stowe Aphrodite', 'Knidian Aphrodite'

Female, statue, nude, Cnidos type, known as the 'Stowe Aphrodite'. Made from two different ancient statues, with some 18th century restoration. Michaelis (1882, pages 488-9) observes "New: head and neck, right arm entirely, left almost entirely including the armlet, the legs from below the knee; toes and portions of the pedestal seem old. The antique parts of the body are of beautiful Thasian marble slightly tinged with yellow; the drapery, on the other hand, which is very much worked over, together with the vase, similarly worked over are of Pentelic. These parts, separately let into the pedestal appear to belong to another copy, and are joined to the torso, presumably under Hamilton's direction, by an iron rivet, which fastens the drapery to the hip'. Ex. Nelson Collection. Said to have been found in Rome "... under a church now added to St. Peter's [probably in 1776, when the churches of Santa Maria della febbre and Stanto Stefano degli Ungari were destroyed in order to make way for the present Sacristy]. Bought by Mr. George Grenville from Gavin Hamilton for Stowe, and restored like the Venus of Cnidus." (Michaelis, page 489). The statue was bought in 1774 from Gavin Hamilton in Rome by George Grenville for the collection of sculpture at Stowe. The statue was sold for 13 guineas in 1848 (Stowe, Lot 3701) and acquired for the collection of sculpture at Lowther Castle. In 1950 the statue was bought by Nelson.