Material: Marble
Size: Height 42 cm
Period: Hellenistic period, 3rd - 2nd centuries BC
Provenance: Private collection, France. Purchased at the Me Clavel auction, Marseille, June 30, 1985, lot 125.
An intimate sculptural dialogue between mother and son.
Goddess Aphrodite and her son Eros
A marble sculptural group depicting Aphrodite accompanied by her son Eros, conceived in the refined tradition of Hellenistic sculpture. The goddess stands in a balanced contrapposto, her body articulated through subtle diagonals, and is dressed in a finely carved chiton whose transparency reveals the underlying anatomy, contrasted by a heavier himation drawn over her lower body and lifted above her head.
Eros appears as a nude child resting on Aphrodite’s shoulder, originally winged, engaging in an intimate exchange of glances that softens the composition. A tree-trunk support behind the figure refers to Aphrodite in the Gardens, emphasizing her association with fertility and renewal.
Inspired by Classical models attributed to Callimachus and related types such as the Aphrodite of Fréjus, the group exemplifies the Hellenistic taste for elegance, movement, and richly articulated drapery.
