Ceres - Cornish, NH
Posted by: 
neoc1
N 43° 30.074 W 072° 22.062
18T E 712806 N 4819844
A multimedia relief sculpture of Ceres is located in the New Gallery at the Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site in Cornish, NH.
Waymark Code: WMHNQC
Location: New Hampshire, United States
Date Posted: 07/28/2013
Views: 1
Ceres is the ancient Roman goddess of agriculture, fertility, and motherhood. She was celebrated in sowing of the grain festivals, harvest festivals, and during marriage ceremonies. According to Cicero, Ceres is the mother of Liber, god of viticulture, and Libera, the goddess of fertility.
The sculpture Ceres, the Roman goddess of agriculture, has a fascinating history. In 1883, Augustus Saint-Gaudens completed a commission creating four reliefs, one for each season, designed by John LaFarge, for the dining room of the 5th Avenue gilded age mansion of Cornelius Vanderbilt II. When the mansion was torn down to make room for the Bergdorf Goodman clothing store, somehow the reliefs disappeared.
Fifty years later the director of the Saint-Gaudens NHS was browsing through a European art catalogue and spotted Ceres which represents summer. He notified the Trustees who acquire the relief for an undisclosed sum of money. It went on display in Cornish in 1979. The other three reliefs are still missing.
Ceres standing while holding a basket of summer fruits with her left arm and hand and holding a tall staff with her right hand. She is wearing a blouse and a long a flowing robe and has a garland of leaves in her hair. A halo surrounds her head. The 5' by 2' relief is made of pear-wood, inlaid mother of pearl, colored marble, and hammered copper.
A brass plaque to the left of the relief is inscribed:
"Ceres"
One of four decorative works designed by John Lafarge for
the home of Cornelius Vanderbilt II in New York City
Multi-media 1881 - 1883
Gift of the Trustees of the Saint-Gaudens Memorial 1979
SAGA 2527