[T]he new statue of Ceres, the goddess of agriculture, was gently lowered to her pedestal atop the newly gilded Statehouse dome Friday afternoon as hundreds watched from far below.
This is the third statue of the goddess of agriculture, now known by her Roman name of Ceres, that has crowned the capitol building since 1858, when Brattleboro artist Larkin Mead designed a 14½-foot-tall sculpture carved out of wood. The previous versions were replaced after being damaged by weather.
The current Ceres was created by sculptors Jerry Williams of Montpelier and Chris Miller of Calais. Williams was the model-maker and Miller carved the actual statue from Honduran mahogany, at the Vermont Granite Museum in Barre. The public was invited to observe the process. (See video below.)
But first, view photographer Glenn Russell’s photos of Friday’s event in this photo gallery.
