Circle of Ponce Jacquiot (Rethel, France before 1536–1570 Paris)
Diana
Model created after 1556, cast before 1585
Bronze
13 3/4 in. (34.8 cm)
Diana, virgin goddess of the hunt, runs while turning to grasp an arrow to notch into her bow (now lost). The heavy folds of her leather tunic swirl in counterpoint to her balletic movements. This exquisitely detailed statuette is a free interpretation of an ancient Roman marble statue of Diana (Musée du Louvre, Paris) that Pope Paul IV gave to King Henry II in 1556. The bronze goddess’s nubile proportions, bejeweled hair, and entrancing gaze reflect the ideal of female beauty at the French royal court.