Jean Dampt's Diane soon to be restored

7/1/25 - Restoration - Dijon, Musée des Beaux-Arts - The hand and fingers of a woman have been found in the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Dijon. They are made of marble. Diana, goddess of the hunt, sculpted by Jean Dampt, lay in the storerooms, broken into several fragments, the torso, the calf, the terrace (ill. 1)... History does not say what happened to it; in any case, it was damaged before 1975, when a letter from the curator at the time stated that the work could not be photographed because it was too damaged, having been damaged during transport.

: 1. Jean Dampt (1854-1945)
Diane Regrets the Death of Actéon, 1887
Marble - 156 x 30 x 30 cm
Dijon, Museum of Fine Arts
Photo: Musée des Beaux-Arts de Dijon; See the image in its page

A study was first carried out to determine whether it was technically possible to reassemble it, the main problem being its weight: could its 500 kg or so be made to weigh on its slender ankles again? Yes. A major restoration project was therefore undertaken, entrusted to Gaëlle Ferdek and Nicolas Imbert, under the direction of Frédérique Bouvard, with a view to presenting this work in the monographic exhibition that the museum, curated by Naïs Lefrançois, will devote to the artist from 7 November 2025 (see advert).

: 2.Jean Dampt (1854-1945)
Diane Regrets the Death of Actéon, 1887
Marble - 156 x 30 x 30 cm
Photograph taken at the Salon
Dijon, Musée des Beaux-Arts
Photo: MBA Dijon / Documentary archives; See the image in its page

This is Dampt’s largest sculpture, and essential for evoking the beginning of his career. It was unfinished when it was exhibited at the Salon des Artistes Français in 1887, where it received a moderately enthusiastic reception (ill. 2). An article in the Bien Public nevertheless came to her defence: obviously, she "could not be understood by the masses, accustomed [...] to applauding, under the name of Diane, the prowlers of Montmartre whose canaille allure should only…

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