Aphrodite of Menophantos

It bears the signature of Menophantos, ("ἀπὸ τῆc / ἐν Τρῳάδι / Ἀφροδίτηc / Μηνόφαντοc / ἐποίε"[1])[2] a Greek sculptor, apparently of the 1st century BCE, of whom nothing more is known.

In the Aphrodite of Menophantos, the statue features an unclothed female with her left hand pulling a cloth over her genitalia whilst her right covers her breasts.

[5] Recent scholars such as Christine Mitchell Havelock have argued that statues with the Pudica posture illustrated a feminine sexuality rooted in passivity, vulnerability, and shame.

However, some scholars argue that the drapery Aphrodite holds indicates her dependence of human form, as occurs in the east pediment of the Parthenon.

In Aphrodite of Knidos, the drapery in her hand (plus the water jar at her feet) suggests that the goddess is about to step into a ritual bath.

Since washing hands or immersion of the whole body had a widespread religious significance in classical antiquity and water was regarded as clean, fresh, and rejuvenating, the interpretation of bathing explains and justifies Aphrodite's nudity.

[9] For example, Athena remains a virgin because she is placed within the masculine world of power: she plays a significant role in war and the protection of cities.

In Hymn 5 by Callimachus, Athena states the problem clearly: "Whoever sees one of the immortals at a moment not of their choosing, must pay dearly for the sight".