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On April 8, 1820, a farmer on the Aegean island of Melos discovered fragments of a broken statue. The statue, later named the 'Venus de Milo' after the island, was swiftly acquired by France. Upon being presented to King XVIII, the statue was gifted to the Louvre, where it has remained ever since.
While the absence of her arms is the most iconic aspect of Venus, it’s believed that she may have still had her left arm when first unearthed. Family members of the farmer who found the statue later claimed that Venus was holding an apple in her left hand at the time. Correspondence from those involved in the purchase suggests that her arms were 'detached from the body,' possibly implying they could be reattached later.
One popular story suggests that a French naval ship, tasked with retrieving the statue from Melos, clashed with a Greek vessel. During the skirmish, the statue allegedly smashed against rocks, breaking off both of its arms. However, this tale was disproven after an earlier sketch of the statue showed it without arms before the transaction took place.
In addition to her arms, Venus is missing other features that were once part of the statue. Originally, the figure was adorned with metal jewelry, such as a bracelet, earrings, and a headband. The marks left by the jewelry can still be seen in the marble. Venus is also missing her left foot.
Another crucial missing element of the statue is its base, which was also discovered in the same Melos field. The base bears an inscription that reads, 'Alexandros son of Menides, citizen of Antioch of Meander made the statue.' This base may be permanently lost, or it could simply be hidden away.
While the identification of the artist seems like a positive discovery, it created an issue for France. Since Antioch wasn’t established until the late third century B.C., the base suggested the statue was created during the Hellenistic period. This contradicted France’s previous portrayal of the Venus de Milo as a prime example of classical art. To resolve this, officials decided the base was part of a later restoration and chose not to display it with the statue. It has been missing ever since, though the museum’s conservator of Greek antiquities maintains that they would never have destroyed such an important piece of history.
