STATUETTE OF DIANE THE HUNTRESS Bronze with green patina. Silver eyes. H. 13.5 cm Gallo-Roman art, 2nd-3rd century Provenance Former 19th century collection according to the base Private collection from the South of France Remarkable bronze statuette representing Diana (Artemis in the Greek pantheon), goddess of the hunt, in a dynamic attitude characteristic of Gallo-Roman iconography. This piece bears witness to religious syncretism in the Romanised Gallic provinces and to the quality of provincial bronze production during the High Empire. The goddess is shown standing and moving, in a posture that evokes walking or running. The young, slender body has the athletic musculature of a divine huntress. Her bare legs, with tapered calves, are clad in knee-high laced boots (endromides), the typical footwear of hunters and travellers in ancient iconography. The garment consists of a short tunic, typical of depictions of Artemis/Diane the huntress. The tunic, held at the waist by a belt, forms elegantly sculpted vertical folds that suggest movement. The fabric rises in undulating cups, creating an effect of lightness and dynamism that accentuates the impression of running. A short coat (chlamydia) floats behind the left shoulder, adding to the sense of movement. The arms are raised in a characteristic gesture: the left arm, bent, holds the bow, while the right hand, also raised, grips an arrow towards the back quiver. The head, turned slightly to the left, shows a youthful face with idealised features: broad forehead, straight nose, delicate mouth and rounded chin. The inlaid silver eyes are a remarkable technical and aesthetic feature, creating a lively, expressive look thanks to the chromatic contrast between green bronze and shiny silver. This technique of inlaying precious metal eyes, inherited from the great classical Greek statuary, testifies to the superior quality of this production. The hairstyle is organised into wavy locks that are pulled up and tied at the top of the skull in the so-called "melon" fashion, or wavy headbands typical of female imperial representations from the 2nd-3rd centuries. This elaborate hairstyle contrasts with the traditional attribute of Artemis (simply knotted hair), suggesting an adaptation to provincial Roman aesthetic tastes. The bronze has a splendid, uniform dark green patina, shaded with coppery-brown areas on the reliefs and areas of wear. This noble, stable and deep patina attests to the age of the piece. The silver inlay on the eyes retains its lustre despite some superficial oxidation. The statuette rests on a later base, probably from the 19th century, consisting of a polychrome marble base (porphyry or breccia) topped by a gilded bronze frame with gadrooned decoration. This presentation reflects the 19th century antiquarian taste for elegantly mounting antique bronzes in cabinets of curiosities and aristocratic collections. A Gallo Roman Bronze Statuette of Diane Huntress. 2nd-3rd century A.D. Remarkable bronze statuette representing Diana (Artemis in the Greek pantheon), goddess of the hunt, in a dynamic attitude characteristic of Gallo-Roman iconography. This piece bears witness to religious syncretism in Romanized Gallic provinces and the quality of provincial bronze production during the High Empire. The goddess is represented standing in movement, in a posture evoking walking or running. The young slender body displays the athletic musculature of a divine huntress. The bare legs, with tapered calves, are shod in high laced boots (endromides) rising to the knees, characteristic footwear of hunters and travellers in ancient iconography. The garment consists of a short tunic, typical of representations of Artemis/Diana the huntress. The tunic, held at the waist by a belt, forms elegantly sculpted vertical folds suggesting movement. The fabric lifts in undulating pleats, creating an effect of lightness and dynamism accentuating the impression of running. A short cloak (chlamys) floats behind the left shoulder, adding to the sensation of movement. The arms are raised in a characteristic gesture: the left arm, bent, holds the bow, while the right hand, also raised, grasps an arrow toward the back quiver. The head, slightly turned to the left, presents a youthful face with idealized features: broad forehead, straight nose, delicate mouth, rounded chin. The inlaid silver eyes constitute a remarkable technical and aesthetic element, creating a vivid and expressive gaze through the chromatic contrast between the green bronze and brilliant silver. This technique of inlaying eyes in precious metal, inherited from great classical Greek statuary, attests to the superior quality of this production. The hairstyle is organised in undulating locks gathered and knotted at the top of the skull according to the fashion called "melon" style or in undulating bands characteristic of female imperial representations of the 2nd-3rd centuries. This elaborate hairstyle contrasts with Artemis's traditional attribute (simply knotted hair), suggesting an adaptation to provincial Roman aesthetic tastes. The bronze displays a splendid uniform dark green patina, nuanced with brown-copper zones on the reliefs and wear areas. This noble, stable and deep patina attests to the piece's antiquity. The silver inlays of the eyes preserve their brilliance despite some superficial oxidations. The statuette rests on a later added base, probably from the 19th century, composed of a polychrome marble plinth (porphyry or breccia type) surmounted by a gilt bronze mount with gadroon decoration. This presentation bears witness to the 19th-century antiquarian taste for elegant mounting of ancient bronzes in curiosity cabinets and aristocratic collections.