Venus

The serpentine pose; sloping shoulders; small, disklike breasts; taut arms, legs, and abdomen; and sweet countenance of the woman, who tilts her head while covering her sex with her left hand, are features found in late fifteenth-century Italian bronzes after the antique. The Venus attributed to Riccio represents this type, including the twin corkscrew curls falling on her shoulders and the decorative headband typical of northern Italian ‘all’antica’ images of ideal beauty.