Label TextThis female torso gives the appearance of having belonged to a statue of the goddess Aphrodite wringing out her hair, like a more complete statue now in the Vatican Museums. This pose, known as “Anadyomene” in Greek, refers to Aphrodite’s birth from sea foam and was especially popular for statuettes that decorated Roman gardens. The torso’s
awkward proportions and the deliberate chisel marks on the “breaks” in her arms may reflect reworking of an ancient statue by an 18th century restorer—or they may reveal the
hand of a forger attempting to make a new statue look ancient. (J. Powers, 2012)