Last updated: February 2, 2025
Place
Chatham's Diana Statue
NPS Photo
Quick Facts
Amenities
1 listed
Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits
The Diana Statue represents Diana, the Roman goddess of wild animals and the hunt. The statue is made of terracotta and is a copy of Rene Fremin's (1672-1744) marble sculpture "A Companion of Diana" by M. Fernandez French. The date of the statue is unknown, but it is possible French created it in the 1800s.
In the 1700 and 1800s, a garden at Chatham had been located on the opposite side of the house on the terraces.The Devores, second-to-last owners of Chatham, added this walled garden to Chatham. They hired renowned landscape architect Ellen Biddle Shipman to design the garden. The design included a variety of Roman-inspired statuary.
The Devores installed the Diana Statute with the rest of the statuary in the formal gardens in the 1920s. The Pratts, last owners of Chatham, removed the Diana Statute from her plinth in front of the formal gardens during their tenure in the house. They donated the Diana Statue to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond in 1959. In 2017, the VMFA deaccessioned the statue and offered it to Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park. After conservation and restoration work by the National Park Service and the Friends of Chatham, the park returned the statute to her plinth in spring 2019.
In the 1700 and 1800s, a garden at Chatham had been located on the opposite side of the house on the terraces.The Devores, second-to-last owners of Chatham, added this walled garden to Chatham. They hired renowned landscape architect Ellen Biddle Shipman to design the garden. The design included a variety of Roman-inspired statuary.
The Devores installed the Diana Statute with the rest of the statuary in the formal gardens in the 1920s. The Pratts, last owners of Chatham, removed the Diana Statute from her plinth in front of the formal gardens during their tenure in the house. They donated the Diana Statue to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond in 1959. In 2017, the VMFA deaccessioned the statue and offered it to Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park. After conservation and restoration work by the National Park Service and the Friends of Chatham, the park returned the statute to her plinth in spring 2019.
Preserving Diana
This statue is made of terracotta and must be covered during the winter for preservation purposes. Terracotta is a porous material that absorbs water. Consequently, when water freezes and thaws during the winter, it expands and can crack the terracotta. If you visit Chatham in the winter, the Diana statue may be covered for protection. If you return to Chatham in the spring, you will see Diana and the garden in full bloom.