Aphrodite Review Criticizes Ashmolean Museum's Treatment of the Goddess of Love

A review in The Guardian criticizes the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford for its exhibition 'Aphrodite,' calling it a 'trashy' treatment of the Greek goddess of love. The review notes that despite world-class loans, the exhibition's narrative is jumbled. It highlights a painting from about 1490 by Botticelli and his workshop, similar to Botticelli's famous 'The Birth of Venus' in the Uffizi, Florence, which depicts the goddess without the zephyrs and green sea. The review suggests that this version indicates the Uffizi masterpiece was already an icon, leading to a commission of just the goddess body. The review also comments on how Venus in art became synonymous with the female nude, and how Botticelli initiated a modern appetite for such depictions that continues today. The exhibition is at the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, and the review was published on October 5, 2026. The review's critical stance underscores ongoing debates about the representation of female nudity in art and the curation of classical mythology in contemporary exhibitions.