In the Philosophical History, Damascius describes his experience of seeing a magnificent statue of Aphrodite:
Upon seeing it, I fell into a sweat through the influence of divine terror and astonishment and my soul was filled with such joy that I was quite unable to go back home. I went away several times only to return to that sight again. The sculptor has blended into it so much beauty—nothing sweet or sensual, but something dignified and virile: clad in armour and as if just returning from a victory, with an expression of joy.
§63, trans. P. Athanassiadi
Simply reading this description fills me with a holy joy, though I’m sure it’s nothing even close to what Damascius experienced on seeing the actual statue. So I share the quote both in the spirit of passing along that joy, and also to ask:
Can anyone point me to a modern devotional image (whether a statue, a print of a painting, etc.), or a reproduction of an older one, that’s composed in the spirit of the image Damascius describes here? Thanks in advance!
Hail heavenly, shining Aphrodite!
A search suggests it might be a statue of Aphrodite Areia https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphrodite_Areia
LikeLiked by 1 person