Beautiful sculpture in white statuary marble depicting the "Diana of Gabii". Italy. First half of the 19th century. H. 108 cm.
HISTORY. The Diana of Gabii is a statue depicting a woman wrapped in drapery; it most likely represents the goddess Artemis and is traditionally attributed to Praxiteles. It was formerly part of the Borghese collection and is kept at the Louvre Museum. The statue was discovered in 1792 by Gavin Hamilton, on the properties of Prince Marcantonio IV Borghese near Rome, where the city of Gabii once stood in ancient times, and was immediately added to the prince's collection. In 1807, due to financial difficulties, Prince Camillo Ii Borghese, son of Marcantonio, was forced by Napoleon to sell 344 works from the Borghese collection to France. Since 1820, the Diana of Gabii has therefore been on display at the Louvre.
