{"product_id":"aphrodite-the-making-of-a-goddess-catalogue","title":"Aphrodite: The Making of a Goddess Catalogue","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThis catalogue explores the world of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, beauty, and desire who later became worshipped by the Romans as Venus. Today, she is thought of as a symbol of passion and beauty but her story is far older and more complex. Uncover the making of a goddess whose legacy still shapes our ideas of love and beauty today.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis book accompanies the upcoming special exhibition at the Ashmolean Museum,\u003cstrong\u003e \u003cem\u003eAphrodite: The Making of a Goddess\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e,\u003cem\u003e \u003c\/em\u003eon display from \u003cstrong\u003e8 October 2026 - 11 April 2027\u003c\/strong\u003e. To find out more information about this special exhibition and to book tickets, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.ashmolean.org\/exhibition\/aphrodite-the-making-of-a-goddess\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Aphrodite Special Exhibition Ashmolean Museum Information Page\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eplease click here\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eExplore Aphrodite's beginnings on the island of Cyprus, where she was worshipped as an all-powerful goddess over 3,000 years ago, and trace her journey through the Greek and into the Roman world, where she became Venus.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAphrodite: The Making of a Goddess\u003c\/em\u003e reveals how, over the centuries, Aphrodite evolved into an iconic figure symbolising love and beauty as her myths and images flourished – inspiring art, literature, and imagination from the Renaissance to the present day. Illustrated with more than 200 extraordinary objects, from sculpture and bronzes to gems and terracotta's from Cyprus, Greece, and Italy, dating back from around 1400 BCE to the 21st century. Many of these are rarely exhibited outside their home countries and reveal diverse artistic traditions tied to Aphrodite’s mythos.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIncluded inside are objects from world-class collections, such as celebrated classical statues and masterpieces on loan from institutions like the \u003cem\u003eRoyal Collection\u003c\/em\u003e and the \u003cem\u003eLouvre\u003c\/em\u003e, offering Ashmolean visitors the chance to see icons of Aphrodite\/Venus alongside ancient cult objects. By bringing together myth, religion and art, \u003cem\u003eAphrodite\u003c\/em\u003e prompts readers to think about how ideas of love, beauty and desire have been constructed and re-interpreted across cultures; providing both a visually captivating, and intellectually engaging read.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis publication features 200 colour and 20 black and white illustrations in exquisite detail.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAnja Ulbrich\u003c\/strong\u003e has been the A.G. Leventis curator of Cypriot Antiquities at the Ashmolean since 2009.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLiam McNamara\u003c\/strong\u003e is Keeper (Senior Curator) of the Department of Antiquities and Lisa and Bernard Selz Curator for Ancient Egypt and Sudan at the Ashmolean Museum.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePeter A. Thompson\u003c\/strong\u003e is Assistant Curator of Classical Archaeology at the Ashmolean Museum and Assistant Lecturer in Classical Archaeology at St John's College.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJennifer Sliwka\u003c\/strong\u003e, PhD was the Keeper of Western Art at the Ashmolean Museum and Professorial Fellow at Balliol College at the University of Oxford. She left in September 2025 after being appointed Director of the Picture Gallery of the Kunsthistorisches Museum.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ashmolean Publications","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":63856395878777,"sku":"ASI-6040","price":25.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0690\/7566\/5197\/files\/Aphrodite_Ashmolean_Exhibition_Catalogue.jpg?v=1782823383","url":"https:\/\/shop.ashmolean.org\/products\/aphrodite-the-making-of-a-goddess-catalogue","provider":"Ashmolean Museum","version":"1.0","type":"link"}