Saturday 19 July 2014

Two and a half millennia of Artemis

Artemis of Versailles statue

Artemis The Hunter is surely everybody’s favourite ancient goddess.  Strong, wonderful ... and, without being headstrong, refusing to let any of the other gods interfere with what she wanted to do. Free as a bird. (Also known as Diana by the Romans).

This sculpture at Sandon Hall has a strange story.  It is a 1999 re-creation of a piece destroyed in a storm at Sandon.  The destroyed piece was a copy of a Roman statue ('Artemis of Versailles') from the second century – which itself was a copy of a Greek statue of around 300BC.
You can’t keep Artemis down.

2 comments:

  1. It's a worthy addition to the property. And she was one of my favourite mythological deities... too often overshadowed by other gods and goddesses.

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    Replies
    1. That makes two Artemis fans (you and me) then!
      I wonder if there are more: I didn't see anyone placing offerings at the statue though...

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