Pheme Holding Pegasus at The Réunion des Musées Nationaux, Paris

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This breathtaking duo-sculpture was originally crafted from marble by French sculptor Eugène-Louis Lequesne (15 February 1815 – 3 June 1887) in 1865. The piece, titled Renommée Retenant Pégase (Pheme Holding Pegasus), vividly depicts the Greek personification of fame and renown leading the majestic Greek mythological horse Pegasus. Pheme (fame) was the daughter of Gaia or Elpis (Hope) and was described as a powerful communicator. A notorious gossip, Pheme was said to have pried into the affairs of mortals and gods, then repeated what she learned, starting with a soft whisper but repeating it louder each time until everyone knew. In art she was often depicted with wings and a trumpet. Here she is accompanied by Pegasus, a winged divine stallion usually depicted as pure white in color. Lequesne was born and died in Paris. In 1841, he entered the École nationale des beaux-arts in James Pradier's workshop. In 1843, he won the second Prix de Rome, and in 1844 the first prize with a plaster bas-relief entitled Pyrrhus tuant Priam. He lived at the Académie de France à Rome from 1844 to 1849 alongside Jean-Louis Charles Garnier. In 1855, he was awarded the Great Prize for sculpture at the Exposition Universelle and received the Légion d'honneur. The moulding shop of the Louvre was created in 1794, two years after the creation of the museum of the Louvre. Born from the will of the Lights to spread artistic and scientific knowledge, its vocation first was to provide faithful reproductions of masterpieces of ancient statuary to museums and art schools. Since 1895 it is attached to the Réunion des Musées Nationaux (RMN). At present, its role has widened to serve the general public: everyone can acquire a moulding of good quality there. This object is part of "Scan The World". Scan the World is a non-profit initiative introduced by MyMiniFactory through which we are creating a digital archive of fully 3D printable sculptures, artworks and landmarks from across the globe for the public to access for free. Scan the World is an open source community effort; if you have interesting items around you and would like to contribute, email stw@myminifactory.com to find out how you can help.