Comparison of Standing Women Statue and Statue of Aphrodite

Introduction
The purpose of this study is to conduct a comparative
analysis of two great and historical pieces of Art. First piece of
art which will be analysed for this study is Standing Women
Statue and the second piece of art is Marble Statue of Aphrodite
of Knidos. The Standing Women Statue is basically a sculpture
made off bronze by the Artist Gaston Lachaise. The statue was
modelled in the year 1930 and afterwards it was casted after two
years in 19321. The sculptor has emerged as one of the most
powerful archetype of womanhood, as the Statue is considered to
be a Modern Goddess of Fertility. Undulating and Swelling with
the sophisticated power and strength, the Statue perches in an
extreme delicate manner right over her tiptoes. The closed eyes
of the Statue lead towards the enhancement of the detachment
from the demesne of the spectator, who are being invited to
marvel at the exceptional and beautiful body.

The Marble Statue of

Aphrodite of Knidos is amongst the most famous and well
renowned works of the Praxiteles of Athens. The Statue is well
known for its grace, and elegance moreover, it has been appreciated
from all the angles as it was the first life sized representation of a
nude female body2. One thing which was extremely shocking
concerning the statue was the fact that it has been commissioned as
the cult Statue for a temple. The Statue is basically the depiction of
the Greek Goddess Aphrodite who was preparing for the bath ritual,
which restored her purity through discarding the drapery with one
of her hands, whereas she was modest enough to shield her naked
body with her other hand.

Thesis Statement
The Statues selection for this study depicts the power and strength of women as both the
artists have portrayed women as Powerful Goddesses that demand and command worship.
Along, with that through their work the artists also celebrate feminism and the strength of the
female body from various dimensions, appreciating the audaciousness of the body of women.

Comparison of Standing Women Statue and Statue of Aphrodite

Gaston Lachaise was amongst the artists who wanted to break the classic tradition, which
is clearly visible in Standing Women Statue, which distends and exaggerates some of the more

1
Lachaise, Gaston. Standing woman. Budek Films & Slides, 1999.
2
Bruggink, Donald J. "Statue of Aphrodite." Donald J. Bruggink image collection (1971).
private parts of the body of the female in a certain manner which recalls the
swollen forms of Paleolithic fertility figures. One major similarity between
the Standing Women and the Marble Statue of Aphrodite is the closeness of
both the artifacts towards classical art3. However, when it comes to a
comparison, Lachaise stretches towards a more classical portion with a more
muscular rounding, and augmented height as well as mass. Furthermore, for
all their weight the different parts of the body including the hips, thighs,
arms, and the breasts all are well and evenly balanced around the slender
waste of the Statue. The easy pose of the Statue provides an illustration of
commanding uprightness, and the direct gaze elucidates her as a regal force4.
Whereas, The Status of Aphrodite is a depiction of a Powerful Goddess who
demanded worship and at the same time it also celebrates the strength of the
female body from various dimensions, appreciating the audaciousness and
features of the body of women, the sculptor is a symbol of grace, and
proportion.

Standing women provides an illustration of significant female vitality

and force. The Statue is a part of master pieces designed by Gaston Lachaise,
Gaston began designing statues like these in the beginning of 1912, and his
major inspiration was his voluptuous American wife Isabel Nagle5. The
Statue despite of providing the greater significance refers to the subject
(Isabel Nagle) in all the permutations as a “Women”. The statue could simply
be termed as a symbol of physical abundance of female, the Statue has been
attributed by the Critics, and it has also been appreciated as a kinship and timeless pre-historic
representation of fertility. Lachaise stated that the Young American Women referring to his wife
immediately turned out to be one of his most primary inspiration which awakened his vision, and
influenced all of his works. Thus, keeping this sentence under consideration it could be
considered that Lachaise have witnessed much greater principles and forces of the human life,
and it was a women in which he found the Goddess which he has been searching for.

Conclusions
Hence, in the end it could be concluded that both the Statue of Aphrodite stands and the
Statue Standing Women are seen as the celebration of the feminine strength in all its dimensions.
This sculptured has been the inspiration of various other artists, as they witnessed marble as the
ideal element for portraying the grace and audaciousness of women, as a result of this various
copies of the sculptured has been made until today. This in turn has led towards
conventionalization of the gesture as well as the instance of the Aphrodite of Knidos. However,
when it comes to standing women it could be stated that the Statue expresses a message of
glorification of human body, and more importantly the human spirit. Along, with that the Statue
portrays the elements such as significance, magnificence, and audaciousness of Women. Finally,
3
Alexander, C., 1953. A statue of Aphrodite.
4
Caskey, L. D. "A statue of Aphrodite." Bulletin of the Museum of Fine Arts, XXVIII 169 (1930): 82-88.
5
The Museum of Modern Art, MoMA Highlights, New York: The Museum of Modern Art, revised 2004, originally
published 1999, p. 167
both the statues considered in this study possess a calm and grave expression which helps in
avoidance of the sensual and sentimental characteristic of women.
 Works Cited

Lachaise, Gaston. Standing woman. Budek Films & Slides, 1999.

Bruggink, Donald J. "Statue of Aphrodite." Donald J. Bruggink image collection (1971).
Alexander, C., 1953. A statue of Aphrodite.
Caskey, L. D. "A statue of Aphrodite." Bulletin of the Museum of Fine Arts, XXVIII 169 (1930): 82-88.
The Museum of Modern Art, MoMA Highlights, New York: The Museum of Modern Art, revised 2004, originally
published 1999, p. 167