Venus de Milo
The artist
Unknown ancient Greek sculptor, sometimes linked to Alexandros of Antioch.
What you see
A tall marble statue of a beautiful goddess with a calm face, wrapped in a robe that slips down around her hips, famously missing both of her arms.
The story
Carved around 130 to 100 BC, she is believed to show Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, and became one of the most famous statues in the world after her discovery.
The style
She is carved from smooth white marble in the graceful late Greek style, with the stone polished so the folds of cloth look soft and real.
Look closer
Look at how her twisting pose makes the robe seem about to slide off, a clever trick that gives the still stone a feeling of gentle movement.
Where to see it
She stands in the Louvre Museum in Paris, France, where crowds gather around her every day.
Fun fact
A farmer found her buried on the Greek island of Milos in 1820, and no one has ever found her missing arms.