Originally installed on a property in Belgium, this large garden statue portrays the Roman goddess, Diana (in Greek mythology, she is known as Artemis), clad in a short Dorian chiton with a himation around her waist. Diana symbolized both the moon and chastity, but above all, she is known as the goddess of the hunt. She is typically depicted in art with a quiver full of arrows or a stag, and both are present with this Diana.
Our cast iron statue is reminiscent of a Roman marble dating to the 1st or 2nd century known as Diana of Versailles, due to the fact that it was installed in the Hall of Mirrors of the Grande Galerie at Versailles in 1696 by Louis XIV. The marble statue itself is a partially rebuilt copy of an ancient bronze from 325 BC attributed to Leochares, with the stag being added during the restoration work (it is unknown if Leochares’ version had the tree stump seen between Diana and the stag). Diana can be seen reaching with her right hand to the quiver slung across her back as she stares in the distance, presumably at unsuspecting prey. Her left hand is on top of the stag’s head, but if you look closely, there is a small cylinder in the hand, suggesting that the Diana from the Leochares original had a bow in hand.
The six-foot-tall statue has added presence thanks to a 21 ½ inch tall cast stone pedestal (the total height is roughly 93 ½ inches). A ring of beading adorns the top edge of the pedestal, just beneath the stout statue base (3 ¼ inches thick and a diameter of 30 inches). There is a four-inch-thick molding at the bottom of the pedestal, under a twisted fluting motif beneath the concave main body. The iron, which has a light gray finish, has developed a magnificent patina of dark gray, green, and brown. It would surely be a focal point of any outdoor display.
CONDITION: Very good condition with slight oxidation to the statue. Exposure to the elements has given the iron a wonderful patina consisting of dark gray, green, and brown over the original light gray finish. Slight imperfections from the casting process of the stone pedestal, which is not original to the statue. Please see photos for details.
