Lot 153b, Auction 4/20/2026: Two Roman Bronze Nude Venus Figurines – Pudica Type

$650.00

In stock

Roman, Imperial period, ca. 1st to 3rd century CE. A compelling pair of intimate devotional figures, these two Roman statuettes depict Venus in her timeless Pudica pose, modest yet unmistakably sensual, embodying the goddess at the moment of self-conscious revelation. Though modest in scale, they carry the quiet authority of one of antiquity’s most enduring archetypes of beauty and femininity. The larger figure, cast in leaded bronze, stands with a softened contrapposto, her weight subtly shifted as one hand gestures across the lower body while the other rises toward the torso – a gesture derived from the famed Hellenistic prototype of the Aphrodite of Knidos. The surface bears a rich, mottled green patina with areas of reddish cuprite, lending the figure both depth and age. Her stylized hair forms a rounded mass framing the face, while the body is rendered with a balance of naturalism and abstraction typical of small-scale Roman bronzes. Size of larger: 1.1″ W x 2.8″ H (2.8 cm x 7.1 cm)

Beside her, the smaller figure, cast in copper alloy, offers a more abbreviated yet no less evocative interpretation of the same theme. Compact and frontal, she mirrors the Pudica gesture with simplified forms and a denser, darker patina. The reduction in scale and detail suggests either a more utilitarian casting or perhaps a different workshop tradition, yet the essential iconography remains clear and deliberate.

Venus Pudica types were widely reproduced throughout the Roman world, serving both decorative and devotional purposes. Such figures may have adorned domestic shrines, bath spaces, or personal altars, invoking the goddess’s associations with love, fertility, and feminine grace. Their portability made them accessible embodiments of divine presence within everyday life. Together, this pairing offers a quiet dialogue between scale, material, and interpretation – two visions of the same divine form, shaped by different hands yet united in their enduring tribute to Venus, the eternal symbol of beauty revealed and withheld.

Condition: Larger is missing one finger on proper right hand. More petite is missing left arm. Both have expected surface wear with weathering as shown. Rich patina throughout.

Provenance: private Dayton, Maryland, USA collection; ex-private F. B. collection, Maryland, USA, acquired in March 2018

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