Sculptpedia Statues, Busts and Sculptures Park sculptures and installations Ancient World & Antiquity Middle Ages & Renaissance Marble & Other Stones Bronze & Other Metals

Venus Felix

Venus Felix is an antique sculpture conserved in the Vatican Museums. Its name can be translated as “Happy Venus,” and it shows the goddess Venus accompanied by her son Cupid. According to the inscription on the plinth, the statue was dedicated to Venus Felix by Sallustia, a Roman matron, and her son Helpidius. The work is thought to be a Roman marble copy, dated around 180–200 AD, after a Greek original by Praxiteles, the Aphrodite of Cnidus. The face of Venus is identified either as the empress Orbiana or Faustina the Younger. Discovered near the Basilica of Santa Croce in Jerusalem in Rome, it is now displayed in the Octagonal Court of the Pio-Clementino Museum in the Vatican.

Venus Felix marble statue with a draped female figure and a small winged child figure beside her.
Venus Felix shown as a marble statue with a draped female figure standing beside a small winged child figure.
April 2025 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
Venus Felix sculpture with a standing draped woman holding a flower beside a winged child.
Venus Felix, shown here as a standing draped female figure with a winged child at her side.
© Catsimpoolas, Nicholas; Moscioni, Romualdo · Public domain
Venus Felix marble statue with a standing draped female figure beside a smaller nude figure with missing arms.
Venus Felix, a marble statue showing a standing draped woman beside a smaller nude figure, displayed on a pedestal.
April 2017 © · CC BY-SA 2.0
Venus Felix marble statue with a draped female figure beside a small winged child figure missing its head.
Venus Felix shown on a white pedestal beside a small winged child figure in a museum display.
August 2019 © · Public domain
Venus Felix marble statue with a small winged child beside her, set on a inscribed plinth against a dark red background.
Venus Felix, a marble statue shown with a small winged child figure beside it.
· CC BY-SA 3.0

Identification

TitleVenus Felix
TypeAncient Roman marble sculpture
Other namesВенера Счастливая; Venera Shchaslyva; Venera Feliks

Historical context

Date2nd century AD, about 180–200 AD

Creator

ArtistUnknown
Model or sourceRoman imitation or descendant of Praxiteles' Aphrodite of Cnidus

Discovery and provenance

Discovery locationUnknown; Francesco Ficoroni claimed it was found near the Basilica of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, Rome, but there is no evidence for this claim
Discovery dateUnknown; Ficoroni reported an 18th-century discovery
Recorded in papal collections1509
DedicationVotive offering to Venus Felix by Sallustia and her son Helpidius, according to the pedestal inscription
Inscription on pedestalVeneri Felici Sacrum Sallustia Helperidus

Physical characteristics

Height2.14 meters
ConditionVenus is missing part of her left arm; Cupid is missing both arms

Materials

MaterialMarble

Appearance

Depicted figuresVenus and Cupid
PoseVenus stands on a pedestal, resting on her right leg
Hand and drapery detailsHer right hand covers the lower part of her body and supports the peplos; her left hand is missing
Cupid detailsCupid is shown beside her, possibly offering her an object
Hair and headwearVenus has hair arranged in a hairstyle falling over her shoulders and wears a possible diadem or tiara
Possible attributesHer lost left hand may originally have held an apple or a mirror

Iconography and meaning

SubjectVenus with her son Cupid
Dedication meaningDedicated to Venus Felix, meaning 'Happy Venus'
Portrait resemblanceThe face or head may resemble Faustina the Younger; another hypothesis identifies the face with Orbiane
Alternative identificationIt has also been suggested that the figures depicted are Sallustia and Helpidius

Location and ownership

Current locationVatican Museums, Pio-Clementino Museum, Octagonal Courtyard, Vatican City

History and restoration

Previous identificationPreviously identified as Sallustia Orbiana on the basis of the inscription, but this identification is rejected because the statue does not resemble known portraits of Sallustia Orbiana on coins