Capuan Venus
The Venus of Capua is a sculpture made during the empire of Hadrian (117 to 138 AD).
Standing on her right leg, with her left foot resting on a helmet, the Greek goddess Aphrodite (Venus, according to Roman mythology) is represented half-naked. A himation or mantle of rich draping covers the lower part of the body, supported by the knee of the left leg slightly bent, and highlights the slight twist of the bust. The hair is divided on the forehead and gathered at the nape, which adorns a headband whose edge was possibly decorated with a string of pearls. On the face, oval in shape, there are almond-shaped eyes and well-drawn lips. The upper part of the body and the head of Aphrodite turn slightly to the left, while the arms rise to hold, almost certainly, the shield of the warrior god Ares, where the goddess looks at herself as if it were a mirror. In this figure, the harmonic composition of the contrapposto adapts to a female body.