Here is a statue fit for a king. This 19th-century marble sculpture of Venus on the grounds of The Elms, from the studio of Jules Allard and Sons, is modeled after a mid-18th-century version by Jean-Baptiste Pigalle (French, 1714-1785). Pigalle’s Venus was created as an accompanying sculpture to Mercury Attaching His Wings, now in the collection of the Louvre. It is also known as Venus with Doves and Venus Giving a Message to Mercury. Together the two sculptures illustrate an episode from Metamorphoses by the Latin author Apuleius (c. 125-170). Pigalle was commissioned to create life-size versions of these two sculptures, which King Louis XV presented as a gift to King Frederick II of Prussia for the gardens of his palace Sans-Souci. Look for this statue the next time you visit The Elms. newportmansions.org. #NewportMansions #Picnics #StrollTheGardensAndGrounds #NewportRhodeIsland #DiscoverNewport #TheClassicCoast #VisitNewEngland #RhodeIsland #TheBreakers #Elms #GreenAnimalsTo...