Six Words: Wisecrack, Appointment, Venus, Fairy, Majority, Retire
The majority of the people in this room have seen pictures of the Venus de Milo. Some of us have seen her in person. You don’t need an appointment to see her. She isn’t like the Mona Lisa where there are large crowds trying to see a small painting. Looking almost fairy-like, she is on display on a pedestal in the middle of a large, long room in the Louvre.
I’m going to ask you to wonder if she would be as famous if her arms weren’t missing. Did the sculptor know that she would be more valuable if the arms fell off? Did he leave a wisecrack in her upper arms with that intent? Do art students and sculptors today ponder these kinds of questions, or are these questions best left to be addressed by the wizened and retired?