Diana of Versailles (Artemis with a Doe)

Original attributed to Leochares Copy restored by Barthelemy Prieur

Diana of Versailles

Marble statue, original in bronze

Greek original late 4th century BCE. Roman copy 1st-2nd century CE.

6ft, 6 inches

Roman copy of Greek original

Museum de Louvre, Salle des Antiques Gallery

This larger than life, white marble statue is of the goddess Artemis who stands contrapposto. It is a Late Classical, free-standing statue of the Greek goddess. Artemis reaches down and touches the horns of the doe on her left with her left hand. Her right hand reaches behind to retrieve an arrow from the quiver that hangs from her shoulder. Her body is adorned with a flowing, kneelength tunic and sandals. Her curls are pulled back with a small crown on top of her head, and she has a youthful face which is turned to the right. Her left foot steps forward in motion just before she retrieves the arrow. The doe to her left looks as if it will leap forward.

Artemis, also known as Diana of Versailles, is the goddess of the hunt, wilderness, wild animals and fertility. She was often depicted as a young girl from around ages 13 to 19 and was portrayed as a virgin often with small hips. She also always wore knee-length clothing so that she could run. One piece she is almost always seen with is a bow and carrying a quiver. In most cases she is also seen with the animal she is hunting. In this very statue she displays all of these characteristics clearly stating she is Artemis or Diana according to Roman society. The deer was a sacred animal to Artemis. It was usually the first animal she hunted. The small crown on her head is a moon crown for she is also known as goddess of the moon. Another attribute of Artemis, not seen in this piece, is her chariot made of gold which is pulled by four horned deer. This piece was created by Leochares and commissioned by Pope Paul IV as a gift to Henri II. In 1556 it was given to Henri II of France and moved in 1602 to the Louvre by Henri IV. There is controversy over the actual find spot of this piece of work. Most say the statue was discovered in Nemi, Italy where there was an ancient sanctuary. Others believe it was found in Hadrians Villa at Trivoli. Regardless of its find spot, this remarkable Roman copy statue made its way to the Louvre gallery. There is also controversy on the meaning or allusion behind this piece. Some say that at the time of its giving to Henry II, it was a subtle allusion to his mistress, Diane de Poitiers. The original statue in bronze has sadly been lost. The Roman copy stands proud with only small signs of aging. It has been well protected in the Louvre museum in Paris. This statue is much like that of another statue of Artemis, currently in Berlin, Germany. Both pieces are free standing and marble. Both statues also possess the many attributes of Artemis such as the knee-length tunic and sandals. The statue would have also had a quiver like that of Diana of Versailles, but it has gone missing. Artemis is portrayed young in both statues and also has the short curls pulled back. Each of the statues stands contrapposto, with one leg forward in motion. Artemis is seen in both reaching back to retrieve an arrow from her quiver. These statues are representational of the idealized sculpture of that society. As well as having marble material, and being a Greek goddess, this piece fits into the exhibition because it shows an idealized woman as a hunter. This statue is a representation of what their society perceived as perfect.

Bibliography: Haskell ,Francis and Penny, Nicholas, 1981. Taste and the Antique: The Lure of Classical Sculpture 1500-1900 (Yale University Press) Cat. no. 30. Collignon, Maxim, Manual of Mythology, in Relation to Greek Art, H. Grevel & Co., 1890. Page 94. Robertson, Martin, 1975. A History of Greek Art (Cambridge University Press) vol. I, pp 46061