Unraveling the mysteries of Venus

"Konica Minolta has spent many years refining our knowledge of optical technology. Now, the new possibilities of this technology are preparing to make a major impact in the world of art. Behold the advanced technology of the Non-Contact 3D Digitizer, developed by Konica Minolta.

This digitizer uses a laser to scan the target object and then analyzes the reflected light to perform detailed measurement of the object's shape. This technology was used as the basis for a grand project in which the Venus de Milo was recreated in perfect 3D detail on a computer. View the true form of the beautiful Venus, a sight which no one has ever seen before."

See it here

You probably need to have high-speed Internet for this to load within a decent amount of time.
The computer-illustrated demonstration by Minolta covers: Venus, Venus: Goddess of Love and Beauty, Acquiring the 3D Data, Unraveling the Mysteries of Venus, joint hidden by drapery, strut hole in the left shoulder, the gold hair ornament, the eternal Venus, the bracelet, the missing arms, bringing Venus to the world, who created her?, dynamic pose, twining upwards, multiple Venuses, and the aim of our technology.

Who was the sculptor of the Venus de Milo? Konica Minolta's website says, "Among the fragments found on the island of Melos was a portion of a plinth inscribed with a sculptors name. A sketch of the plinth survives, but the plinth itself is lost to us." The inscription reads, "Made by ****** Andros, son of Menides, citizen of Antioch on the Maeander River." A "plinth" is a base or platform on which a sculpture rests. (Yes, I had to look that up!)

Where do you go to see the Venus de Milo in person? It's called Aphrodite Venus, and the sculpture is in the collection at the Musée du Louvre in Paris.