Venus or Aphrodite of Capua by Pietro Masulli
Bronze Statue of Venus or Aphrodite of Capua signed Pietro Masulli. A very fine patinated statue after its prototype the Antique statue of “Venus or Aphrodite of Capua” by master sculptor Pietro Masulli who worked in Naples, during the Grand Tour 19th century Period. The goddess Venus or Aphrodite is represented semi-naked. Raised arms indicate that they probably held a shield, perhaps of Mars, used by the goddess to mirror herself. Bronze – Lost-wax casting technique 49.5 cm high Venus or Aphrodite of Capua is a statuary type representing a semi-naked Aphrodite. Its prototype, named after its findspot at the ruins of an ancient theater in Capua, Italy, is now in the Museo Archeologico Nazionale Napoli (Naples National Archaeological Museum). An earlier version of the type of the Venus de Milo, and close to the Venus of Arles, the statue probably represented the goddess admiring her reflection inside the reflective inner surface of Ares’ shield, a motif known on coins from