Diana of Versailles facts for kids
The Diana of Versailles or Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt (French: Artémis, déesse de la chasse) is a large marble statue of the Roman goddess Diana (known as Artemis in Greek mythology). It shows her with a deer. This famous statue is now in the Musée du Louvre museum in Paris, France. It is also called Diana with a Doe (French: Diane à la biche) or Diana Huntress (French: Diane chasseresse). The statue is a Roman copy, made in the 1st or 2nd century AD. It was copied from an older Greek bronze statue, which is now lost. Experts believe the original was made around 325 BC by a sculptor named Leochares.
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What the Statue Looks Like
Diana is shown as if she is hunting. She is moving quickly forward, chasing game. She looks to her right. Her right arm is raised, ready to pull an arrow from her quiver. Her left arm has been repaired over time. A deer has also been added at her feet. She might have held a bow in her left hand.
Diana wears a short Dorian chiton, which is a type of tunic. She also has a himation (a cloak) wrapped around her waist. She wears sandals on her feet.
The Statue's Journey Through History
The Diana of Versailles has a long and interesting history. In 1556, Pope Paul IV gave the statue as a gift to Henry II of France, who was the king at the time. It was probably found in Italy. Some people think it was discovered near the Temple of Diana (Nemi), an ancient holy place. Others believe it came from Hadrian's Villa near Tibur.
This statue became very famous outside Italy. It was one of the first Roman sculptures to be seen in France. The statue was first placed in the Jardin de la Reine (Queen's Garden) at the Château de Fontainebleau. It was the main feature of this garden.
In 1602, King Henri IV moved the statue to the Palais du Louvre in Paris. A special room, called the Salle des Antiques (now the Salle des Caryatides), was made just for it. The statue was repaired by Barthélemy Prieur around this time. Later, in 1696, King Louis XIV moved it again. This time, it went to the Grande Galerie (which is now the Hall of Mirrors) at the Palace of Versailles.
As one of France's most important treasures, the Diana Chasseresse returned to the Louvre in 1798. It was repaired again in 1802 by Bernard Lange.
The Fountain of Diana at Fontainebleau
After the original marble statue was moved from Fontainebleau, a bronze copy was made. In 1605, Barthélemy Prieur created this bronze replica. It was placed on a tall marble base as part of a fountain. This fountain was designed by Tommaso Francini in 1603. The fountain also had bronze hunting dogs and stag's heads that spouted water. These were sculpted by Pierre Biard. The fountain was in the Jardin de la Reine, surrounded by beautiful gardens.
During the French Revolution, Prieur's bronze copy was sent to the Louvre. But in 1813, Emperor Napoleon gave it to Empress Joséphine for her home, the Château de Malmaison. At the same time, Napoleon ordered another bronze copy to be placed on the fountain at Fontainebleau. This copy was made by the Keller brothers in 1684. Prieur's bronze was later returned to the Louvre. In the 20th century, it finally came back to Fontainebleau and is now in the Galerie des Cerfs.
Other Copies of the Statue
Many other copies of the Diana of Versailles have been made over time. Roman copies of the same design have been found in places like Leptis Magna (Libya), Antalya (Turkey), and Annaba (Algeria).
Besides the modern copies by Prieur and the Keller brothers, a full-size bronze copy was made in 1634 by Hubert Le Sueur for Charles I of England. For the Château de Marly, a marble copy was created by Guillaume Coustou in 1710. In the late 1700s, many smaller copies were made from bronze, plaster, and lead.
A small copy of the statue was even found on the fireplace in the first-class lounge of the famous ship, the Titanic. In 1986, explorer Robert Ballard discovered and photographed this statue on the ocean floor near the shipwreck. It was photographed again in 2024.
See also
- Fountain of Diana from the Château d'Anet
