Venus at The British Museum, London

Here the goddess of Love (Venus) stands upright, her torso bare. A heavy mantle has slipped from her shoulders and only just clings to her hips. The sculpture recalls elements of famous Aphrodite statues by the renowned fourth-century BC Athenian sculptor Praxiteles. Workshops of the Roman period produced both faithful mechanical copies of famous Greek masterworks and new versions that blended classical vocabulary to create new types. This marble statue was discovered by the painter and dealer Gavin Hamilton in 1775 in an ancient bath building at Ostia near Rome. The arms were restored and the statue was set onto a new plinth. This object is part of Scan The World. Scan the World is a non-profit initiative introduced by MyMiniFactory, through which we are creating a digital archive of fully 3D printable sculptures, artworks and landmarks from across the globe for the public to access for free. Scan the World is an open source, community effort, if you have interesting items around you and would like to contribute, email [e-mail] to find out how you can help.