Why it matters
Pauline Bonaparte reclines half-nude as Venus, holding the apple she won in the Judgement of Paris. Asked how she could pose wearing so little, she reputedly said there was a stove in the studio that kept her warm.
Did you know?
- It was carved in Rome between 1805 and 1808.
- It was commissioned by her husband, Camillo Borghese.
- Only the head is a realistic portrait; the body is idealised.
- Nude portraits of people of high rank were unusual at the time.
Based on the Wikipedia article Venus Victrix (Canova) (CC BY-SA 4.0).
