Maria Leszczyńska (1703-1768). Daughter of King Stanislaus Leszczyński and Katarzyna née Opalińska. From 1725 the wife of King Louis XV, Queen of France. The bronze statue is a reduced replica of a monumental marble sculpture made by Guillaume Coustou between 1726 and 1731. The statue of the Queen serves as a pendant to the depiction of Louis XV as Jupiter, sculpted by Nicolas Coustou, Guillaume's brother. The sculpted images of the royal couple were initially located in the gardens at Versailles, moved to the Trianon in 1778, then in 1839 to the museum at Versailles before finally entering the Louvre collection. The popularity enjoyed by both images led to the creation of many copies made on different scales and in different materials, such as bronze and terracotta. The bronze in the Castle's collection perfectly reproduces the details of the original and presents a high level of craftsmanship. The Queen of France is depicted as Juno, the mythological daughter of Chronos and Rhea, wife of Jupiter. This is indicated by the presence of the peacock, the goddess's attribute. The depiction of Maria is an interesting synthesis of elements taken from antiquity and contemporary times. The queen is clad in a tunic, loosely reminiscent of an ancient chiton, and leather sandals, while her hairstyle clearly bears the hallmarks of modern fashion. Both the peacock, the clouds and the putto offering Leszczyńska symbols of power give the image features of apotheosis. The Queen supports her left hand on an oval shield decorated with the Bourbon family coat of arms. [ZPS]