C19TH ITALIAN CARVED ALABASTER SCULPTURE “ARIADNE ON THE PANTHER” AFTER HEINRICH DANNECKER.

C19th Italian carved alabaster sculpture “Ariadne on the Panther” after Heinrich Danneker.
Carved alabaster sculpture after the marble original by Heinrich Danneker (German b. 1758 Stuttgart d. 1841).
This masterpiece by Dannecker is considered by some to be a ‘modern’ classic and is perhaps one of the best known and important German sculptures of the 19th century. The sculpture shows the Greek goddess Ariadne , lying in divine nakedness on one of Dionysus’ panthers.
Completed in 1824, it was heavily damaged by bombing at Frankfurt in October 1943 , and it’s restoration was only completed in 1978. It is now exhibited at the Liebeg-Haus in Frankfurt.
In Greek Mythology , Ariadne , having been abandoned by Theseus , is comforted by Bacchus/Dionysus on the island of Naxos and carried to him , her head crowned with a garland of grape leaves , on a panther.