“Ceres” or “The Summer”? This statue has two names and a fascinating story. The Cérès statue stands here in the Jardin des Tuileries. But this is not the original.
Let’s explore the history of the Cérès statue. It represents the Roman goddess of agriculture and grain crops. Cérès is credited with discovering spelt wheat. She taught people about ploughing sowing and nourishing seeds.
Guillaume Coustou sculpted the original Cérès statue in marble between 1731 and 1735. He designed it to accompany another statue “The Winter” by Jean Raon. “The Winter” statue was initially created for the Chateau de Versailles.
Guillaume Coustou was a renowned French sculptor. He was born in Lyon in 1677. He studied in Paris and Rome. He worked for King Louis XIV and King Louis XV. Coustou created numerous sculptures for royal buildings. His most famous works are the Horses of Marly. You can find them at the entrance of the Avenue des Champs Élysées.
Look closely at the statue’s face. Notice the detailing. Coustou put a lot of effort into this work.
Cérès holds spelt wheat in her right hand. In Greek mythology the goddess Demeter gave spelt wheat as a gift. The Greeks taught other countries to cultivate it. Cérès is the Roman counterpart to the Greek goddess Demeter.
The Cérès statue stood in the Jardin des Tuileries after 1736. In 1993 the original statue was moved to the Louvre Museum. It was replaced with a cast. The sign on the base shows both names. It says Cérès and L’Été, which is French for Summer. It also says “moulage” the French word for molding or cast.
The original Cérès statue is now in the Louvre Museum in the Richelieu wing. It is in Salle 105. The statue’s dimensions are impressive. It is 3.12 meters high 1.28 meters wide and 0.64 meters deep. The Louvre acquired it on October 26 1993.
The Cérès statue ordered by the Direction des Bâtiments du roi. Perhaps based on models paid to François Dumont. Dumont may have been paid on August 12 1726. A marble block was delivered on June 1 1731. The sculptor was paid on January 20 1735.
So here we stand before a copy of a statue with a rich history. The Cérès statue represents agriculture and summer. It connects us to Roman mythology and French artistic tradition. The original Cérès statue resides in the Louvre. But this copy allows us to appreciate Coustou’s work in its original setting.