Leucothea and Bacchus at The Palace of Versailles, France

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This marble sculpture titled 'Woman with Child', also known as 'Leucothea and Bacchus' was carved by an anonymous sculptor's skilled hands. The group piece showcases a woman tenderly holding a child close to her chest. In Greek mythology, Leucothea ("white goddess") was one of the many names given to an ancient sea goddess revered for her incredible strength and mysterious powers. Here, the goddess is likely a manifestation of Ino after she leaped into the sea with her son Melicertes (another sculpture from the Palace of Versailles' gardens); upon their death, the Olympian gods transformed them both into powerful sea-gods, Melicertes becoming Palaemon and Ino turning into Leucothea. The reason behind Ino's desperate leap into the sea is believed to be her intense love for Dionysus (or Bacchus, as in this sculpture), her nephew and son of her sister Semele. Since Dionysus was the son of a mortal woman, Semele, and Zeus' wife wasn't pleased with him being raised by mortals (she attempted to kill him multiple times). This led to Hera's intense jealousy. In response, Hera struck her husband with madness; he went insane, killed one of his sons, Learchus, thinking he was a ram, and set out in a frenzied pursuit of Ino, leading her to take the drastic step of throwing herself into the sea. Alternatively, Ino was driven mad by Hera's curse and boiled her son Merlicertes alive in a cauldron before jumping into the sea with it. This remarkable object is part of "Scan The World", a non-profit initiative launched by MyMiniFactory, which aims to create a digital archive of fully 3D printable sculptures, artworks and landmarks from around the world for everyone to access freely. Scan The World is an open-source community effort; if you have interesting items nearby and want to contribute, email stw@myminifactory.com to learn how you can help make a difference.