BY JOHN MARRIOTT BLASHFIELD, LONDON, CIRCA 1855

For the decoration of house and garden, the ancient gods and goddesses still have a very pertinent iconographical role to play: Ceres is one of the goddesses of hospitality, and Diana has a dual role, as goddess of hunting - and of chastity. Blashfield's catalogue, published in 1857, includes models that relate to these two statues: Ceres (No. 200) and Diana (No. 202). Both figures derive directly from the antique, Diana being essentially a copy of the classical sculpture of Diana Robing in the Louvre. The enduring appeal of classicism was perhaps encouraged by the influence of the Elgin marbles and a new generation of artists, such as Leighton, promoting a vigorous classical revival in the second half of the 19th century, giving new impetus to the fashion for the Antique.