Venus Landolina

The Venus Landolina is a Roman marble statue depicting the goddess emerging from water, with her arms positioned to hold attributes that have not survived over time. The work is housed in the Museo Archeologico Regionale Paolo Orsi in Syracuse and belongs to a collection of pieces from the Roman period.

The statue was discovered in 1804 in Syracuse and dates from the 2nd century CE. It is based on an ancient Greek image type depicting Aphrodite emerging from the sea.

The sculpture reflects how Roman artists adopted and continued Greek artistic traditions, visible in the way the goddess is represented. This figure follows a familiar type that many artists of that period used in their work.

The statue is located in sector D of the museum, which displays artifacts from the Hellenistic and Roman periods of Syracuse. Visitors can find a collection of sculptures and other objects from this era in this area.

The marble surface retains traces of the original polishing technique that Roman sculptors used to create different textures across the statue. This surface treatment demonstrates the craftsmanship of ancient artists.