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She left the city more than three centuries ago. For one summer, she returns.
La Venus of Arles, a jewel of the Louvre for over two hundred years, is exceptionally returning to its city of origin for an exhibition co-produced with the Arles Antique Departmental Museum, and labeled " Exhibition of national interest "by the Ministry of Culture. The history of this sculpture is, in itself, a novel. Carved in the 1st century BC in the style of Praxiteles, the Greek sculptor who, in the 4th century BC, dared to depict Aphrodite nude for the first time, it was discovered in 1651 in the ruins of the ancient theater of Arles. The event caused a sensation. Louis XIV himself fell under its spell, renamed it Venus, and convinced the city to give it to him. It went to Versailles, then to the Louvre, where it has since stood alongside the Venus de Milo."
Today, she is the one making the return trip.
The museum has gathered around the sculpture nearly 80 works, including 33 on loan from the Louvre, spanning all periods and all mediums Antique Aphrodites, paintings by Gustave Moreau, photographs by Man Ray, and reinterpretations by Andy Warhol: a fascinating procession that explores the myth of Venus over time, its metamorphoses, its powers, and its enduring presence. The scenography, by Nathalie Crinière, promises a setting worthy of the exhibition.
A rare and moving return to the roots.
Transit of Venus
Departmental Museum of Ancient Arles
Roman Circus Peninsula, 13200 Arles
Until 31 October 2026
https://www.arlesantique.fr/
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