In 1851 the Hermitage acquired through the agency of the Venetian antiquary Sanquirico a magnificent statue of Aphrodite that had previously been in the collection of the Venetian Nani family. A rare publication dating from the Napoleonic era - The Collection of All Antiquities Kept in the Venetian Nini Museum - says of the statue: "It long lay neglected… but was recalled from oblivion when Sigor Kacopo Nani saw it and placed it in his celebrated museum, presenting it for judgement to the famous Canova, who strongly praised the new acqusition." The statue of Aphrodite is marked by the complexity of the bodily movement and the refined elegance of the proportions. It reflects the Hellenistic tendencies characteristic of the art of the Antonine dynasty (A.D. 96-193).