Crouching Venus after Antoine Coysevox

After ANTOINE COYSEVOX (Lion, 1640-1720), 18th century.
“Venus crouching.”
Bronze.
Measurements: 21 x 9 x 43 cm; 24 cm (total height with base).
This sculpture follows the model of the crouching Venus made by Antoine Coysevox around the year 1684-1686, today belonging to the Louvre collection, in turn inspired by the Venus of the 3rd century BC, possibly the creation of the Greek sculptor Doidalsas of Bithynia. Also known as “Modest Venus” or “Shameful Venus”, Coysevox shows us a Venus just out of the bath who folds in on herself to cover her pubis and breasts, adopting a graceful gesture. Formally, it is an image of great beauty, grace and elegance, based on the Greco-Latin sculptural canon. However, although the facial features follow ancient models, the soft and delicate modeling reveals a distinctly modern aesthetic. Also noteworthy is the high quality of the chiseling, which configures fluid and delicate shapes, organizing the composition based on subtle curves and countercurves. Likewise, the detail has been worked with great refinement, without ever forgetting the classic reference. The turtle on which she sits introduces veiled symbolism.
This sculpture follows the model of the crouching Venus made by Antoine Coysevox around the year 1684-1686, today belonging to the Louvre collection, in turn inspired by a Venus of Classical Antiquity. Also known as “Modest Venus” or “Shameful Venus”, Coysevox shows us a Venus just out of the bath who folds in on herself to cover her pubis and breasts, adopting a graceful gesture. Formally, it is an image of great beauty, grace and elegance, based on the Greco-Latin sculptural canon. However, although the facial features follow ancient models, the soft and delicate modeling reveals a distinctly modern aesthetic. The high quality of the chiseling also stands out, creating fluid and delicate shapes, organizing the composition based on subtle curves and countercurves. Likewise, the detail has been worked with great refinement, without ever forgetting the classic reference. The turtle on which she sits introduces veiled symbolism.
Judging from the number of copies that have been excavated from Roman sites in Italy and France, this variant of Venus appears to have been popular from the beginning of its creation. Several examples of the Crouching Venus in prominent collections have influenced modern sculptors since Giambologna and have been drawn by artists since Martin Heemskerck, who made a drawing of Farnese's Crouching Venus which is now in Naples. The model is often related to a corrupt passage in Pliny the Elder's Natural History, which lists sculptures in the Temple of Jupiter Stator in the Portico of Octavia, near the Roman Forum; the text has been modified to mention Venerem lavantem sese Daedalsas, stantem Polycharmus ("Venus washing, from Daedalsas, and standing, from Polycharmus"), recording a sculpture of a Venus that was not standing. These brief archival references and so many existing ancient versions make the archival identification of Roman copies insecure.