Aphrodite and Greek Art

Understanding Aphrodite is an experience of understanding feminine sexuality. For heterosexual men feminine sexuality means coming to terms with the impact of a lover upon the personality. Women view sexuality as it entails coming to terms with one's own sensual nature. For men the impact of the personality can mean several different things, such as beauty, sexuality, desire, and passion. These are all apparent traits in the way Aphrodite is viewed and displayed in Greek art. Aphrodite is the goddess of beauty and sexuality and that is exactly how she is perceived and depicted. In many ways, which I will explain through the paper, Aphrodite takes part in near pornography, the first public displays at least. The way I will define pornography in this paper is by addressing the desire one possesses for a female, and the way Aphrodite induced this desire. This portrayal of Aphrodite in a pornographic sense can be seen through statues, paintings, literature, and friezes. The pieces of art that I have chosen to view which represent Aphrodite as being viewed as a sex symbol in a pornographic sense are, Aphrodite riding a swan, Aphrodite of Knidos, Aphrodite and Pan from Delos, and Aphrodite of Melos. The first piece I want to discuss is Aphrodite riding a goose or swan; in the piece itself it is hard to determine which one it is (Pratt, P.110). For arguments sake, let's just call it a swan, but either way the fact that Aphrodite is riding a bird is what is most important to consider when viewing this piece. This piece was from the time period between 470-460 B.C. and represents Aphrodite not only in a way of beauty and sexuality, but as a nurturing woman as well. To start off lets discuss what a swan represents in Greek art and its relevance to Aphrodite. The swan in nature is a bird and the bird represents the air or the heavens. The swan also represents female sensuality, love, lustfulness, and even rape, which will be discussed later in the paper. All of these attributes which the swan represents are also qualities that Aphrodite represents as well. The fact that Aphrodite is controlling the swan by riding it shows Aphrodite's control over these attributes shared by both figures. Even though in this particular piece Aphrodite is clothed her sexual side is still represented by many other factors. These factors include the already stated controlling of the swan, her pose on which she is riding the swan, and the fact that Aphrodite is extending her hand holding a flower, which also represents beauty, love and sexuality in Greek art.
The pose that Aphrodite is positioned in the piece illustrates calmness and a sense of warmth and comfort. Even though Aphrodite is riding a wild swan her emotions are limited and she seems as if she is really at ease on the swan. Aphrodite has an archaic smile; she is not even holding on to the swan just calmly sitting representing the comfort once again, or even the idea that the two are intertwinable; they are compliments of one another. While riding the swan with a great comfort Aphrodite is also holding on to a very large flower, which also represents beauty, love, as well as a holding over nature because she is controlling the flower. The idea of Aphrodite holding on to the flower while riding the swan is a very comparable image to the snake goddess of early archaic Greece. The ways the two are similar are the ideas of women controlling nature. The reason women control nature is because of their fertility, or their capabilities of nurturing, being hand in hand with nature. While the snake goddess controls the snakes Aphrodite controls the flower and the bird, which is tied into with the snake as representing nature. The snake is representative of water, and the flower represents land, and the bird represents air, these three attributes combined to mesh into one archetype; that Aphrodite is the goddess and controller of beauty, love, nature, sexuality, and sensuality.
While this particular piece does not openly exhibit pornography or a heavy sense of sexuality, its underlying meaning represents mans uncontrollable lust or desire for women. In Greek mythology Aphrodite's swan gradually becomes associated with Apollo, and the story of Zeus taking on the formation of a swan to rape Leda, who was a bird goddess, providing an example of mans uncontrollable desire for women and their presence of sensuality and sexuality (Pratt, P. 112). This formation of a man into a swan also eliminates the idea of a swan being the one factor that could stop this desire of mans lust for women, or be the factor that could stop men from raping women. This formation is apparent that no matter how desirous a woman might be the man has total control over the woman in Greek society, so to say that the swan represents women's safety form rape is alleviated by the story of Zeus taking Leda.
The next piece I would like to discuss is the statue of Aphrodite at Knidos (Osborne, P.233). This statue is more representative of the image of sexuality and a bit more on the pornographic idea of Aphrodite and Greek art. The basis of this statue is a fully nude Aphrodite with an intriguing look on her face, gestures, which represent different ideas when viewed from different perspectives. In this piece Aphrodite seems to be glaring into the eyes of the viewer. Her eyes are set deep into her head and she seems to be very focused for someone who is just getting out of a bath. She is looking out at something and seems to not even know that she is naked. She is preoccupied with something else; as if she knew someone was going to see her be naked, as if she was anticipating the viewer to see her.
The statue is made to be seen in a full circle around the piece. When looking at the piece in different angles her gestures seem to move but her glare out at something remains the same. Her eyes are telling the viewer that she thinks it is alright to see her naked. On the opposite end of Aphrodite's eyes are her gestures. Her gesture tells a different story when looked at from a different angles or perspectives.
When viewing Aphrodite from the front or head on she seems to be covering herself up, her gesture with her hand is covering her genital region. This covering is followed with the idea that she is reaching for a towel to cover herself up. This reaching for a towel is telling the viewer they are unwelcome, but her body language tells a different story. Even though when you are viewing her from the front and she seems to be covering herself up Aphrodite is in a very sexual pose with her body. She seems very relaxed and her hips are kind of swayed out, as if she was posing for the viewer. Her leg is bent forward perhaps gesturing to the idea that she is walking toward the viewer. This gesture of covering herself up is viewed differently however when you look at Aphrodite from an angle. In this perspective Aphrodite is welcoming the viewer; she is not attempting to cover herself up at all. This creates the idea that Aphrodite is allowing herself to be viewed while she is naked creating the idea of her appetite for love or even sex. She is putting her self on display for the opposite sex saying her I am, I don't care that I am naked, and I am a very sexual person.
This piece is very ground breaking for art in this time period, which was in the early Hellenistic period. Praxiteles the sculptor of this piece created Aphrodite in the nude, this should have been disastrous for a mortal but because mans desire was so great for Aphrodite the idea of a naked god was ok. None the less this piece was still groundbreaking for its frontal nudity of a woman, but early wet drapery style also represented Aphrodite in a very provocative manner. Aphrodite of Knidos is even reaching for a drapery which would still entail a very sexual manner, of her being wet and putting on some drapery which would cling to her skin.
If you look at sculptures from the east pediment of the Parthenon which represent the gods at the birth of Athena you will see what exactly wet drapery style looks like and how it is comparable to a fully nude Aphrodite (Osborne, P.185). In wet drapery style the clothing that is on the figure is near skin tight and you can still see nearly all of the female anatomy through the wet drapery. In the sculpture Aphrodite reclines against a goddess with Hestia, the goddess of hearth, this representation shows or brings out Aphrodite's sexual appeal preparing the viewer of this piece to face Pandora the first woman, who was a set up for mans desire of women. The viewer is getting ready to see Pandora because she is at the base of the pediment, creating a connection between Aphrodite and Pandora. This sexual appeal represented by Aphrodite is so strong, artists believed it would help in the aid of preparing individuals to face Pandora, the gods way of trapping man for his lust or desire of women which his viewed as a sign of weakness in man (Osborne, P.185).
The next piece which is very provocative and deals a lot with Aphrodite's sexual desire by man is called Aphrodite and Pan. In this sculpture Pan who is half man and half goat is making an attempt at Aphrodite. Pan is being very aggressive and seems to be taking Aphrodite's hand away from her genital region. In many ways such as Pan's attempt to take Aphrodite's hand, and his fierce look at Aphrodite, it looks as if Pan is going to rape Aphrodite. With Pan being a centaur he is a mere mortal who should not have the privilege or capabilities to rape a goddess. And yet because of this factor and Aphrodite's own posture the viewer can establish the idea that Aphrodite is not exactly denying Pan's advancement.
Aphrodite is merely standing there while a gruesome creature is making sexual advancements towards her. She is very relaxed and does not seem frightened or bothered with the current situation happening to her. Aphrodite is also fully nude in this sculpture enticing the viewer to ponder why exactly she is nude. Is she accepting Pans advancement to her, or maybe the two have already engaged in some sort of sexual act. Either way the gentle look on Aphrodite's face leads one to think that she and Pan are either going to or already have engaged in a sexual act. The idea of such a creature taking Aphrodite gives the idea to the viewer that Aphrodite's sexual presence is very strong because she is willing to open her sexuality to figures such as Pan. Also this represents the idea of sexuality in its truest form is purely animalistic and that desire is crazy and untamable. This represents her openness of beauty and willingness to view it in different ways that perhaps beauty does not always have to be on the outside and that given the chance any man can have a chance with a woman as beautiful as Aphrodite.
The little winged Eros which is holding on to both Aphrodite and Pan also represents the idea of the two of them being together. Eros which is a form of an early cupid could have been the one to lead Pan to Aphrodite. The two characters brought together by Eros only imply to a grater detail that the two are engaging in a consensual act. That Aphrodite is truly open to the situation and seems unbothered by the figure making advances to her.
The last piece of art I would like to discuss is Aphrodite of Melos (www.visart.uga.edu). This sculpture of Aphrodite is probably the most publicly known work of art referring to Aphrodite. It is the most well known because it is so well done and life like, except for the fact that Aphrodite is over seven feet tall. Like Aphrodite at Knidos Aphrodite of Melos is very seductive looking she is in a very provocative stance and seems to be glaring at the viewer. Her hips are set to the side and she seems to be moving toward the viewer because she has a lifted foot and a bent knee. Her lower half of her body is covered in wet drapery and her top half is fully nude. Her breasts are very proportional and she is what we would call today heavyset or wide hipped. Even though by today's standards Aphrodite is large back in the Hellenistic ages her proportions were viewed as mere beauty and perfection for a woman. The wet drapery seems to be falling off of Aphrodite creating a sense of seduction as if Aphrodite was taking off her clothing for the viewer.
Aphrodite's larger than life proportions in this piece can be related to her as being a mighty goddess. Her power of beauty and sensuality are so powerful that she has to be viewed as larger than life because she is such as dominate force in these characteristics and in life. This sculpture was intended to entice the viewer; it was created to produce a feeling of lust for the goddess. When viewing this piece it is important to look at the eyes of Aphrodite she is looking into you and telling a story of her beauty. She has deep set eyes which seem to focus in on your eyes. Creating a statue so realistic with the ideas of availability, and sexuality behind it allows the viewer to feel as if Aphrodite is actually putting herself out there for the mere mortal man. The idea behind Aphrodite at Melos is that she is a very sexual person and can easily seduce those who intend to look at her.
Women in ancient Greek society were viewed as homemakers and were to stay at home, while the man was educated and was taught the proper essential for life. The woman was only a pawn in mans life, he was to do whatever he wanted with the female figure. There were no real love affairs mere desires; marriage was a set practice and chosen by families. The woman in that sense was a desirous attribute for man because he lusted after her in sexual manners. Men viewed women as sexual objects and believed al they wanted to do was have sex. The case of Helen and Troy fits this view the best. Helen was taken by Paris out of lust; they only knew each other for a short period of time. Helens husband did not love her enough to let her go, he only wanted her back for revenge and the idea that if he cannot have her no one can.
Aphrodite's generous and carnal affection and her lack of ambivalence about sex made her unique through out the heavens (Friedrich, P.134). Her disregard for the idea of shame for sex without marriage brings the idea that pollution from this act is brought on by the person who does the act. Basically if you do not feel shamed for an act than it should not be considered pollution, or a dirty filthy act. This is how Aphrodite is unique towards other goddess, because they are shamed by there acts of infidelity and mocked by other gods and goddess for their actions.
Sexual relations between a man and a goddess are considered deadly acts. It was the law or golden rule that a man who engages in intercourse with a goddess in punishable by death or castration. This is not the case with Aphrodite, through her statues and art work Aphrodite can reach any man and posses any of her desires. By seducing mortals and providing a transcendent image of seduction Aphrodite mediates between the human and the divine in a way that gives man exceptional intimations of the immortality he can never posses or attain (Friedrich, P.136).
Aphrodite's sexuality also extends to her nudity. Much like sex between a mortal man and a goddess the idea of a mortal man seeing a goddess naked is basically the same thing. It was a punishable act for a mortal to see a goddess naked, but not in the case of Aphrodite. Nearly all of Aphrodite's art that she is portrayed in she in naked or near naked as in the case of Aphrodite riding a swan, and her part in the temple of Athena, when she is covered in wet drapery. Aphrodite of Melos and Knidos, she is fully nude or as her breasts exposed, her and Pan she is totally naked other sculptures such as Aphrodite crouching or the Cnidian Aphrodite she is completely nude. It was alright for mortals to see her naked and generate ideas of her in a pornographic sense. It was the viewer's depiction of Aphrodite that generates the provocative pornographic images or thoughts. If it was alright to see her nude and alright for her to lust mortals, and for mortals to lust her, and the idea of sex and desire are only natural and that is how I think viewers viewed Aphrodite.
Aphrodite was the first porn star in my mind. She was the one who was put on display for mortals to lust after. Pornography was apparent in many forms of art work during ancient Greece; these forms are apparent from such periods as the archaic period, when vases depicted sexual acts and sexual advances towards the opposite and same sex (Richlin, P.12-15). In these images there were actual sex scenes being illustrated and even inscriptions of such phrases as keep still and be quiet, maybe referring to a women being raped. There were orgies depicted and courting taking place with offering of gifts for sex. All these images were not publicly viewed but the idea that early Greeks viewed pornography was apparent. And sense Aphrodite was the first women to be viewed and lusted after in a public eye, I think it is fair to say that in many ways Aphrodite could be seen as the first porn star of early Greece.