LASTING TRADITIONS

Part I							
 
This is a sculpture of Venus, the goddess of love
and beauty. It was made almost 2,000 years ago

Look carefully at this sculpture then list three
adjectives that describe it.

Describe Venus’s body. Is she young or old, strong or weak?
Describe how she is standing and what you think she is doing:

Describe her skin. What do you think it would feel like if you could touch it?

Describe her face and hair: 

Venus was said to be born from the waves of the ocean. What do you see that gives you a clue as to where she was born?

West Pavilion
Lower Level
Lobby just outside the Antiquities Galleries

Gods, goddesses, and heroes are often shown in similar ways throughout time. In this activity you are going to compare two sculptures of Venus, who was also called Aphrodite. She was the goddess of love and beauty. One sculpture was made almost 2,000 years ago and the other was made over 200 years ago. Venus was often shown naked to celebrate her beauty and her physical perfection.

West Pavilion
Plaza Level
Gallery W101
European Sculpture 1750–1850

Part II							
 
This is also a sculpture of Venus. It was
made over 200 years ago in England.

Look carefully at this sculpture then list three adjectives that
describe it.

Describe Venus’s body. Is she young or old, strong or weak? Describe her pose and what you think she is doing:

Describe her skin. What do you think it would feel like if you could touch it?

Describe her face and her hair:

Part III							
 
These two sculptures were made over 1,500 years apart in different countries by different artists. However, they have many similarities. 

What was the same in both sculptures? 

What was different? 

Did comparing the sculptures make you look more closely? 

Discuss your ideas as a group.