Chapter «L’eterno femminino che ci attira in alto accanto a sé»: celebri Veneri tra Roma e Firenze

Overview & Synopsis

Rome and Florence in modern centuries competed as Italian capitals of art, and two of the most appreciated ancient sculptures cannot be excluded from this rivalry: the Venus de’ Medici, exhibited since the 17th century in the Uffizi Gallery, and the Capitoline Venus, which in the following century it found its place in the New Museum on the hill of the same name. This contribution, in addition to summarizing the state of the art of research on the two works, considers their different fortunes and the multiple and varied reactions that they aroused in modern observers. We will therefore investigate the reasons why the Florentine Venus appears to have been more appreciated and famous than its urban rival.