The artwork, titled “Crouching Venus,” is a bronze sculpture created by the renowned artist Giambologna. It belongs to the Mannerism movement, also known as Late Renaissance, and is currently located in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met) in New York City, NY, US.
The artwork captures the figure of Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty, in a crouching position. The sculpture exudes a sense of grace and fluidity, characteristic of Mannerist aesthetics. Venus is depicted with one hand raised, perhaps to secure a cloth over her shoulder, while the other hand modestly covers her chest. The bronze medium enhances the sculpture’s elegant contours and the play of light on its polished surface, further accentuating the goddess’s delicate and poised form. Giambologna’s mastery in rendering the human figure in such a dynamic yet serene posture is evident in this exquisite piece.
