In Greek mythology Flore is the wife of Zephyus, the god of the western wind. Reminiscing of the wilderness, she is often portrayed as a beautiful young woman with loose hair adorned with flowers. Here, she takes a garland from a collection of flowers collected in her dress, gesturing with her hand as if to sow them on the ground around her. She is often depicted as an allegory of spring or the harvest season.

Dating from the 18th Century, this female sculpture made of patinated terracotta and was collected by Jean Hennessy and is charateristic of the time- the sculptor of this piece is unknown. It was donated to the Museum of Art and History of Cognac in the mid-20th Century by Kilian Hennessy.

Jean Hennessy (1874-1944) was a French diplomat and politician, coming from a large family of Cognac merchants and in turn collected many works from the 18th and 19th centuries, including this sculpture.

Scan provided by Alienor.org, Conseil des Musées