English: Most Hellenistic representations of Aphrodite were inspired by the Aphrodite of Cnidus, a statue made by Praxiteles in about 364 BC, of which this is a copy. The original was made for the island of Cos, which had commissioned the artist for a statue of the goddess. Because the statue showed Aphrodite in the nude, it was rejected by the city in favor of a more traditional, draped image that has not survived. Praxiteles' statue of the nude Aphrodite, subsequently acquired by the city of Cnidus, became one of the most famous sculptures in antiquity. The goddess modestly covers her body with her hand. The sensuality of the image is characteristically Hellenistic. Noteworthy, too, is the unaccustomed sense of intimacy with an Olympian deity.