Statue of Aphrodite. (The “Tauride Venus”). Marble. 3rd century Ð’. C. Greco-Roman.
Greek and Roman antiquities occupy 24 rooms of the ground floor in the New Hermitage building. Hermitage, rooms 100—131. Of all collections in the Russia it is the very best for not only does it contain the widest representation of original antique monuments, but it gives the opportunity of tracing the continuous development of Antique art throughout the whole period of Greek and Roman civilisation.
Some antique sculptures, now incorporated in the collection, were acquired in the early 18th century. Such is the statue of Aphrodite Hermitage, room â„– 109), known as the Tauride Venus, purchased by Peter the Great. This was the first antique statue of high artistic value which was brought to Russia. The nucleus of the collection, however, was formed in the 19th century by purchases of separate works of art as well as collections bought en bloc; of these special mention deserves the acquisition in 1861 of a considerable part of the Marquis Campana collection, which enriched the Museum with a great number of vases of rare beauty and outstanding importance. Archaeological excavations undertaken since the first half of the 19th century by Russian scientists on the sites of Greek settlements on the Black Sea coast were Continue Reading »