Located next to a statue of her seducer, Vertumne (
visit link) , this 1696 marble sculpture depicts Pomona, the Roman goddess of abundance standing and raising her right arm as if she has been alarmed. She carries a basket of flowers with her left hand. She wears a dress that flows and dissolves into the pedestal. The work is by French sculptor Francois Barois (1656-1726)..the same artist who created the nearby Vertumne. He was one of the artists who worked on the many pieces at Versailles. Read more about him at (
visit link)
Wikipedia (
visit link) informs us:
" Her name comes from the Latin word pomum, "fruit," specifically orchard fruit. She scorned the love of the woodland gods Silvanus and Picus, but married Vertumnus after he tricked her, disguised as an old woman.[1] Her high priest was called the flamen Pomonalis. The pruning knife was her attribute.
In 19th-century statues and building decorations, Pomona is usually shown carrying either a large platter of fruit or a cornucopia."