Cassandra places herself under the protection of Pallas at the Jardin des Tuileries, Paris

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This 1877 marble sculpture is titled "Cassandre se met sous la protection de Pallas" or "Cassandra places herself under the protection of Pallas". The work depicts her completely nude, except for a cloth draped over her thigh. She stands next to a square pedestal with a small statue on top, which presumably represents Pallas. Cassandra is a complex figure because different legends have been associated with her name, but the primary theme is that Cassandra was gifted with foresight; however, after she rejected Apollo's love, he placed a curse on her that would cause no one to believe her predictions. There are several Pallas figures in mythology as well, and it is presumed that this Pallas refers to Athena, who was also known as Pallas Athena. The artist behind the sculpture is French sculptor Aime Millet (1819-1891). Millet was the son of miniaturist Frederick Millet (1796-1859) and uncle to Chicago architectural decorator Julian Louis Millet (1856-1923). He studied at the École des Beaux Arts with David d'Angers and Viollet-le-Duc in 1836. In 1840, Millet began producing his early works; he received the Légion d'honneur in 1859 and was appointed professor at the École des Arts décoratifs in February 1870. He was a friend of sculptor Pierre Louis Rouillard and his students included Louis Majorelle, Berthe Morisot, and François Pompon. Millet died in Paris on January 14, 1891, and is buried in Montmartre Cemetery. Cassandra, also known as Alexandra or Kassandra, was the daughter of King Priam and Queen Hecuba of Troy. A common version of her story is that Apollo gave her the power of prophecy to seduce her, but when she refused, he spat into her mouth cursing her to never be believed. In an alternative version, she fell asleep in a temple, and snakes licked or whispered in her ears so that she was able to hear the future. Snakes as a source of knowledge is a recurring theme in Greek mythology; sometimes they bring understanding of animal language rather than the ability to know the future. Cassandra is a figure of both epic tradition and tragedy.