Female Torso (Probably Aphrodite) Boston Museum of Fine Arts, October 2009

Female Torso (Probably Aphrodite)
Greek, Hellenistic period
2nd- 1st centuries BC
marble

# 97.286

Appearing as if soaked with water, the drapery that clings to this female torso seems most appropriate for Aphrodite, goddess of love and sexuality. While this "wet drapery" style probably originated in the mid-fifth century BC, this figure's distinctive posture- hip raised and torso twisted- suggests a later date. Pose, costume, and carving all point towards a group of sculptures made on Rhodes and other islands off the western coast of Asia Minor during the Hellenistic period. The limbs and head were carved from separate pieces of stone; the cuttings made to affix the arms and neck are clearly visible.

Text from the MFA label.