This statue, only the torso of which remains, depicts Venus, the goddess of love, as she emerges from a bath with her lower body covered in a loose garment. From the fourth century BCE, Aphrodite (Venus) was commonly portrayed in the nude, following the example of a famous statue by the Greek sculptor Praxiteles. The worship of the human body and the ideals of beauty were important themes in ancient Greek sculpture. Many noted Greek figures, such as the philosopher Socrates, believed that beauty and virtue were closely interconnected.