Large terracotta statue of Diana after Frémin

Very large and rare terra cotta sculpture of Diana or one of Diana's companions resting on a large natural wood pedestal.
Paris workshop from the second half of the 19th century, after the work of René Frémin.

“A light clasp holds her floating dress. A simple knot raises her hair. On her back hangs an ivory quiver, and in her hand is a bow, the instrument of her glory. Such is her finery; and as for her beauty, she looks like a young hero with the graces of a virgin; she looks like a virgin with the noble audacity of a hero”.
These words from Ovid's Metamorphoses (Book VIII), describing Atalanta, could well suit Frémin's portrait of Diana (or one of her companions). All that needs to be added is: at her side stands a greyhound.
And indeed, we shouldn't be surprised by the neoclassical character of this work, whose marble original was commissioned in 1710 for the gardens of Marly by the King's Direction des Bâtiments, even if, finished as Louis XIV's reign drew to a close, it already appears imbued with a certain grace and gentleness, a certain spirit of freedom typical of the Regency.

René Frémin was a French sculptor born in Paris in 1672 and died in 1744. A pupil of Girardon and Coysevox at the Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture, he won the Prix de Rome for sculpture and spent several years at the Académie royale de Rome. On his return to France, he was admitted to the Académie and worked mainly on commissions for the Bâtiments du roi at Versailles, before moving to Spain, where he became first sculptor to Philip V and directed the Académie de Madrid.
Find out more at
http://www.wikiphidias.fr/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=424:-fremin-rene&catid=34:biographie&Itemid=53
This work by René Frémin is one of ten statues called “Compagnes de Diane” or “Nymphes de Diane” commissioned in 1710 by the Direction des Bâtiments du Roi to adorn the gardens of Marly (whose estate was dedicated to royal hunting) and for which renowned sculptors were engaged: Anselme Flamen and René Frémin (we mention them first, as there is still some debate as to whether any of their works represent Diana herself), but also Pierre Lepautre, Philippe Magnier, Jean-Louis Lemoyne, Simon Mazière, Jean-Baptiste Poultier, Jean-Baptiste Théodon, and later Claude Poirier (for two) and Guillaume Coustou. However, they were never all reunited. After many ups and downs (some of them even disappeared), and having stayed at Malmaison and then at Versailles (Bosquet du Rond-Vert *), we can now admire it in the company of some of the others at the Musée du Louvre, Cour Marly.
Here's an interesting article on the subject: https://www.latribunedelart.com/le-sculpteur-jean-baptiste-theodon-1645-1713-sa-compagne-de-diane-retrouvee-ses-combats-d-animaux-a
* “... Contant de La Motte's plan indicates two Faun statues in the Rond-Vert grove, but without locating them. These are the Mazarin Faunas - the Roman Faunas (MR 1918) and the Greek Faunas (MR 1917) - which came from the destroyed Girandole and Dauphin groves. Durameau's plan places them in the central room of the Rond-Vert grove, in the north and south niches. Durameau's plan also indicates that one of the niches in the central hall was occupied, in 1787, by René Frémin's Diane ou Compagne de Diane (MR 1862).” Catalog des sculptures des jardins de Versailles et de Trianon. Alexandre Maral, with the collaboration of Cyril Pasquier.


Very fine original condition.
Meticulous restoration by the Campo workshop in La Rochelle.
(See the file on our site)
It is presented with a dedicated cherrywood base.

Dimensions
Total height with pedestal: 2.70 m.
Sculpture: 1.72 m high x 0.87 m wide ht.
Base: 0.50 m diameter.
Pedestal: 0.98 cm high x 0.86 m wide x 0.86 m deep.