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Diana by Augustus Saint-Gaudens

Diana by Augustus Saint-Gaudens

 

Aware of Saint-Guadens's desire to model a female nude, the architect Stanford White gave him the commission for a weathervane for the tower of Madison Square Garden (demolished 1925). The first, eighteen-foot-tall sculpture proved too large and was replaced in 1894 by a streamlined version, five feet shorter. It became one of New York's most popular landmarks, and the sculptor capitalized on its success by issuing numerous reductions, This cast is a half-size model of the second version, produced from a cement cast once owned by White. Saint-Gaudens eschewed the traditional full-bodied interpretation of Diana, the Roman goddess of the moon and the hunt, focusing instead on simple, elegant lines and a strong silhouette.

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Uploaded on July 19, 2009
Taken on July 3, 2009