Bather

probably Netherlandish

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 520

The facial features and tight curls indicate that this is a woman of African descent. With her hair wound in a bathing turban and a washcloth clasped in her hand, she pauses entranced by her reflection in a mirror. Statuettes of idealized female bathers were often identified as Venus, goddess of love. This bronze’s popular title, "Black Venus," reflects the rarity of using an African model for the depiction of female beauty during the Renaissance.

Bather, Bronze, probably Netherlandish

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