In his Naturalis Historia, Pliny the Elder describes how Apelles, a famous painter of the 4th century BC, was completely absorbed in his work and intended to depict Campaspe, who was considered the "most beautiful of Alexander the Great's concubines."
As the brush danced across the canvas, drawing the perfect lines of the young woman's body, the master was carried away by her extraordinary beauty and fell madly in love with her.
Alexander the Great, impressed by her art and devotion, was thrilled with the result and decided to give the young girl to the painter, turning her not only into a muse but also into the object of his love. Thus, Campaspe became the main subject of the artist's most famous painting, Aphrodite Anadyomene, in which Venus emerges from the waters with divine grace.
This masterpiece, which left its mark on art history, has been recreated in a fresco in Pompeii, considered a Roman copy of the original.
According to the story, the painter Apelles, despite leaving no trace of his work, eventually took the wonderful Campaspe as his wife, uniting their destinies in an eternal bond.
The 19th-century French sculptor Auguste Ottin is renowned for his extraordinary talent for representing the human body, especially in marble, and for the elegance with which he blended classical and Renaissance influences.
Fascinated by the story of Pliny the Elder, he decided to capture the essence of this enchanting concubine in 1883, creating a work that shines on the north facade of the Louvre today.
Ottin sculpted a young woman who captivates with her elegance and introspection.
Her face, slightly tilted downwards, evokes an expression of modesty and reserve, which contrasts with the gesture of undressing.
The sculptor’s mastery is evident in the details of the face, from the delicate lines to the sinuous curves of the figure, and is revealed in the way he manages to make the marble seem alive.
The fabric that slides around his body, held with difficulty by his elbow, seems to come to life, creating an effect of movement that contrasts with the solidity of the stone.
The realism of the curtain, the calm expression and the meticulously shaped hairstyle capture the imagination of the viewer, making the heroine seem almost alive.
Ottin’s Campaspe goes beyond the mere representation of beauty: it embodies the essence of art, is able to convey timeless emotions and bring distant characters to life with a contemporary look. Please
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