Praxitèle
-390 (Athènes) / -330
"This exacerbation of the desire felt in front of the statuary of Praxiteles, beyond the legend, indicates well the erotic nature of his art. The very object he chose to sculpt invites this reading: in ancient Greece, and especially in Athens, unlike procreative love, which only looks at the veiled wife cloistered in her gynecae, recreational love is entirely directed towards prostitutes and young boys. By choosing to sculpt a young and beardless Apollo and a naked Aphrodite, Praxiteles is obviously sculpting Greek desire.
Emmanuel Daydé, Art Absolument n°21 June 2007
"This exacerbation of the desire felt in front of the statuary of Praxiteles, beyond the legend, indicates well the erotic nature of his art. The very object he chose to sculpt invites this reading: in ancient Greece, and especially in Athens, unlike procreative love, which only looks at the veiled wife cloistered in her gynecae, recreational love is entirely directed towards prostitutes and young boys. By choosing to sculpt a young and beardless Apollo and a naked Aphrodite, Praxiteles is obviously sculpting Greek desire.
Emmanuel Daydé, Art Absolument n°21 June 2007
