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Diana of Versailles

Diana of Versailles is a famous statue of the goddess Diana, now preserved in the Louvre in Paris. Made of white marble and about 2 meters tall, it is a Roman imperial copy of a lost bronze original attributed to the Greek sculptor Leochares, probably dating to around 325 BC. Discovered in Italy, its exact provenance is unknown, though the Louvre suggests Nemi. The statue was given by Pope Paul IV to King Henry II of France in 1556, later restored by Barthélemy Prieur, transferred between Fontainebleau, the Louvre, and Versailles, and finally returned to the Louvre in 1798. It is regarded as one of the finest examples of Greco-Roman classical sculpture.

Diana of Versailles, a classical statue of a draped female figure reaching for an arrow with a small deer beside her.
The Diana of Versailles shown in a black-and-white photograph, with the goddess reaching toward her quiver beside a deer.
1886 © Virgil; Henderson, John, 1845-1932 · No restrictions
Diana of Versailles, a marble statue of a female figure reaching for an arrow beside a deer
Diana of Versailles shown in a sepia-toned photograph, standing beside a deer as she reaches toward her quiver.
© Braun, Adolphe (1812-1877). Dessinateur. Photographe de l'oeuvre reproduite · Public domain
Diana of Versailles, a marble statue of a woman reaching back toward a quiver while resting her hand on a deer’s antlers in a museum hall.
Diana of Versailles on display with a small deer in a grand museum hall.
November 2021 © · CC0
The Diana of Versailles marble statue stands in a museum hall with a small deer beside it and visitors in the background.
The Diana of Versailles, shown in a grand museum hall with a deer at its side.
© Copy of Leochares (?) · CC BY-SA 3.0
Diana of Versailles statue with a deer beside her in a museum gallery
The Diana of Versailles displayed in a museum gallery, shown with a deer at her side.
July 2016 © · CC0

Identification

TitleDiana of Versailles
Alternative namesDiana de Versalhes; Diana the Huntress; Diana à la Biche; Diane Chasseresse; Artemísia, goddess of the hunt; Artémis, déesse de la chasse; Artemis of the Hunt; Artemide della caccia; Artemide con la cerva; Artemis with a Deer; Artemis on the Hunt; Diana with the Doe
TypeMarble statue
SubjectThe goddess Diana (Artemis), goddess of the hunt

Historical context

Date of copyRoman copy of the Hadrianic period, probably the first half of the 2nd century AD; some sources say the 1st or 2nd century AD
Original workLost Greek bronze original, probably c. 325 BC (around 340–320 BC in some sources)
Original attributionAttributed to the Greek sculptor Leochares; Praxiteles has also been proposed

Discovery and provenance

Replacement at FontainebleauA bronze copy by Barthélemy Prieur was installed in 1605
Transfer to the Louvre1602 by Henry IV; returned in 1798 by decree of the Convention during the French First Republic
Later location under Louis XIVVersailles, including the Hall of Mirrors and the Grande Galerie in the Château de Versailles
First installation locationQueen's Garden, Palace of Fontainebleau, west of the Gallery of Stags
Reason for giftA subtle but unmistakable allusion to Henry II's mistress, Diane de Poitiers
Donation to Henry II1556, by Pope Paul IV to King Henry II of France
Suggested provenancePossibly Nemi, where there was once a sanctuary dedicated to Diana
Original provenanceUnknown
Discovery locationItaly; probably Nemi, but some sources suggest Tivoli near Villa Adriana

Physical characteristics

Height2 meters
SizeSlightly larger than life-size
ConditionThe namesake example is also the best preserved

Materials

MaterialWhite marble
Original materialBronze
SupportA tree trunk supports the left leg

Technique

Copy typeRoman imperial copy

Appearance

PoseThe goddess is walking in motion, with her shoulders turned right and hips turned left in an X-shaped composition
Left armThe restored left arm rests on the antlers of a deer; originally it probably held a bow
Associated animalA small deer or doe, sacred to the goddess
ClothingShort Doric chiton with a peplos around the waist, plus a himation or mantle diagonally over the left shoulder and sandals
Head adornmentDiadem
HairWavy hair gathered at the back of the neck
Gaze directionLooking to the right
Drapery styleFluttering, flowing forms
ActionShe reaches with her right arm to take an arrow from a quiver carried by a bandolier over her right shoulder

Iconography and meaning

InterpretationDiana/Artemis as a huntress in motion; the missing weapon has been seen as turning the image into a more pastoral figure

Location and ownership

Inventory numberMa 589
Display locationGalerie des Caryatides, in the center of the Caryatids Room (Room 348 of the Lescot Wing); a dedicated room was specially designed for the statue
CollectionCollections of the Louvre Museum
Museum departmentDepartment of Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Antiquities
Current locationLouvre Museum, Paris, France

History and restoration

RestorationRestored by Barthélemy Prieur in 1602 and by Bernard Lange in 1802
Bronze copiesCopied several times in bronze and marble; notable bronze copies were made by Barthélemy Prieur in 1605 and Hubert Le Sueur in 1634 for Charles I of England
Marble copyA marble copy was made by Guillaume Coustou the Elder in 1710 for the Château de Marly-le-Roi
Additional decorative elements at FontainebleauThe 1605 bronze copy stood on a tall Mannerist marble pedestal designed by Tommaso Francini, with bronze hunting dogs and deer heads that spouted water, in a garden surrounded by an orangery
Later developmentsThe orangery was removed in the mid-19th century by Louis-Philippe I; a bronze replacement copy dated 1684 later occupied the Galerie des Cerfs; a miniature was on the Titanic; in 1986 Robert Ballard discovered and photographed the statue on the seabed near the bow of the wreck

Significance

ReputationBy the mid-17th century it was regarded outside Italy as comparable to works in the Vatican Belvedere and the Borghese Palace; Alexander Murray called it the most important surviving representation of the goddess; it is considered one of the best examples of Greco-Roman classical sculpture and one of France's most valuable treasures

Other

Comparative findspots and related sitesComparable statues of the same subject were found at Leptis Magna (present-day Libya) and Adalia (present-day Turkey)