The original Abduction of Proserpina sculpture was carved in 1622 from marble by artist Gian Lorenzo Bernini when he was only 23 years old. It shows the daughter of Zeus being kidnapped by Hades and brought to the underworld. According to Greek mythology, this goddess who is also called Persephone was responsible for the springtime fertilization of vegetation. Her abduction symbolizes autumn. This reproduction was acquired by John Ringling in 1936 and is in the courtyard of the Ringling Museum of Art.
