Copy of the antique statue of Venus de' Medici

To the left of the fireplace is a copy of the antique statue of Venus de' Medici, created in Italy around 1880 and owned by Adolph Godeffroy, the presiding director of Hapag. The Venus de' Medici is one of the most famous antiques of Rome, rediscovered there in the 1630s and named after its later owners, the Medici family. The life-sized marble sculpture, actually made in the 2nd century, is a copy of the Greek bronze sculpture which dates back as early as the 1st century BC. Originally depicted was the Greek goddess of love, Aphrodite, who has often been associated with the Roman goddess Venus since the 4th century BC. Venus was the Roman goddess of love, erotic desire, and beauty. The animal next to her is a dolphin; in ancient times it was considered a symbol of love and philanthropy. The youthful goddess is portrayed in a pose of movement, as if she were climbing out of the sea. The dolphin plays at her feet and would not have been just an accessory—it probably also acted as the required support for the bronze original. The restoration of the arms was carried out by Ercole Ferrata (1610–1686) who gave the figure long, tapering, mannerist fingers.