ESQUILINE VENUS

The Venus Esquilina, a Hellenistic sculpture from the 1st century BC preserved in the Capitoline Museums in Rome, was discovered in 1874 on the Esquiline Hill. Originally interpreted as Venus-Isis, it is now believed to represent Cleopatra, with the cobra symbolizing the Egyptian ureus. Displayed in Spain in 2008, it was covered during the visit of the Iranian president in 2016. There is a copy in the Louvre. The statue, blending severe styles for the face and Hellenistic models for the body, seeks a naturalistic representation of the female form, disregarding traditional canons of the goddess's beauty.