Title
Venus
Date
19th century
Description
“Venus”, also known as “Venus with Doves” and “Venus giving a message to Mercury”, (French, 19th century) from the studio of Jules Allard and Sons after a mid-18th century version by Jean-Baptiste Pigalle (French, 1714-1785). Installed on the grounds of The Elms the white marble statue depicts the nude goddess facing left with two doves at her feet.
Piagalle’s Venus was created as an accompanying sculpture to “Mercury Attaching his Wings”, his admission piece into the French Academy, now in the collection of the Louvre. Together the two sculptures illustrate an episode from Metamorphoses by the Latin author Apuleius (c. 125-170). Piagalle was commissioned to create life-size versions of these two sculptures, which King Louis XV presented as a gift to King Frederick II of Prussia for the gardens of his castle Sans-Souci.
Piagalle’s Venus was created as an accompanying sculpture to “Mercury Attaching his Wings”, his admission piece into the French Academy, now in the collection of the Louvre. Together the two sculptures illustrate an episode from Metamorphoses by the Latin author Apuleius (c. 125-170). Piagalle was commissioned to create life-size versions of these two sculptures, which King Louis XV presented as a gift to King Frederick II of Prussia for the gardens of his castle Sans-Souci.
Cultural Origin
French
Medium
Marble
Collection
Source
Purchased by the Preservation Society of Newport County, 1962.
Identifier
PSNC.1853
For more information about this item, please contact its owning institution.