SAINT-GAUDENS’ MONUMENTAL SCULPTURE DIANA TO BE REGILDED

The Philadelphia Museum of Art will undertake a major project to regild Diana, the 13-foot-tall sculpture of the Roman goddess by Augustus Saint-Gaudens that commands the Museum’s Great Stair Hall. Made possible by a grant from Bank of America, the work will be undertaken by the Museum’s Conservation Department and is expected to last four months.

“Thanks to the exceptional support of Bank of America, this celebrated work will be restored to its original glory by the expert hands of our talented conservation staff,” said Timothy Rub, the George D. Widener Director and CEO. ”Diana is widely recognized today as one of the premier icons of Philadelphia but most people do not realize that the sculpture’s gray green copper surfaces, so familiar to many, once gleamed in gold.”

The treatment plan will consist of corrosion removal, surface preparation for the application of gold size, and the laying of 180 square feet of gold leaf. The re-gilding project involves several phases of preparation. This includes research on the manufacture and appearance of the sculpture in the 1890s, an assessment and documentation of the current structural condition of its sheet copper and armature, including the rotating mechanism of the weather vane.

The project has been funded through Bank of America’s Global Art Conservation Project, one of 24 initiatives in 16 countries that have been selected for grant funding in 2013. Bank of America has supported 57 projects in 25 countries since 2010.

“Art has a unique ability to connect people and communities and to help economies thrive,” said Rena DeSisto, Global Arts and Culture Executive at Bank of America. "The works we have selected as part can provide a lasting reflection of people and history. As a company with clients in over 100 countries, we are funding the preservation of these important works to contribute to the cultural enrichment and advancement of future generations."

“As art conservation consumes ever greater portions of tightened museum budgets, the need for private arts funding has become even more critical,” added Thomas C. Woodward, Pennsylvania president for Bank of America. “We are honored to help preserve Diana.”