Ariadne on the Panther

This sculpture depicts Ariadne, a princess of Crete. She was a daughter of King Minos and his Queen, Pasiphaë, and the legacy of the god Zeus (on her father's side) and the Titan Helios (on her mother's side). She is most commonly known for helping the Greek demigod hero Theseus get through the Labyrinth in Ancient Greece. Ariadna, abandoned by Theseus on the island of Naxos, was rescued by Bacchus. She became his bride and is represented here as seated on the back of one of his train of wild animals. Dannecker was born in Stuttgart and worked in Paris and Rome under Canova. The 'Ariadne' (1814) was one of the most popular designs of its day and was produced in every possible sculptural medium, the present piece is one of many marble reductions