On April 8 , 1820 , several composition of a impoverished statue werefoundon a farmer ’s land on the Aegean island of Melos . Deemed the “ Venus de Milo ” for the island of her origin , the statue was quickly purchased by France . After she was presented to King XVIII , Venus was donated to the Louvre , where she ’s been holding court ever since .
Though her missing subdivision are her most famed characteristic , it ’s possible that Venus had at least the left one at the metre she was discovered . Relatives of the farmer who dug up the art object laterclaimedthat when they were there for the big find , Venus had a remaining paw that cling to an orchard apple tree . Other missive from mass involve in the purchase extension her broken arms , sayingthat they were “ presently detached from the organic structure , ” perhaps point that they could later be put back on .
One tale go that the French Navy vessel get off to call up the statue from Melos was involve in a scuffle with a Greek ship . During the fight , the statue was somehow frighten away against some rock-and-roll , break off both arms . The story was subsequently show false , as an early sketch of the statueshowedit armless before the transaction took plaza .
Whether or not they were originally there , Venus ’s arms are n’t the only things miss now . The statue was in the first place adorned with metal jewelry , including a bracelet , earring , and a headband . The holes where the jewellery was once attached to the marble stillremain . Venus is also missing her odd foot .
There ’s another major art object that ’s not included with the statue display : Part of the Venus ’s fundament was also notice in that field in Melos , bear the inscription , “ Alexandros Logos of Menides , citizen of Antioch of Meander made the statue . ” The base may be legitimately missing , or it may just be stashed away .
Though the ability to identify the creative person seems like good tidings , France was anything but delight about the discovery . Because Antioch was n’t found until the belated third C B.C. , the base placed the founding of the statue somewhere in the Hellenistic menses . The problem with this is that France had already touted the Venus de Milo as a select example of definitive prowess , and the date and location of the slice now said otherwise . Officials convinced themselves the base was part of a renovation discharge at a late escort , and determine not to exhibit it with the statue . It ’s been missing ever since , although the museum ’s curator of Greek antiquitiesinsiststhey would n’t have destruct such an of import piece of story .
