A bronze statue that once stood in the luxurious first class lounge of the Titanic has been found in remarkably pristine condition by divers exploring the ship’s wreck.
The notable discovery was made during a recent expedition by RMS Titanic Inc, which has released new photos of the 112-year-old wreckage.
The two-foot-tall bronze statuette of the Roman goddess Diana sat on the mantelpiece in the first class lounge but was thrown to the ocean floor after the lounge was “torn open” when the Titanic sank, says RMS Titanic Inc.
The Diana of Versailles statuette - based on an original sculpture that is exhibited at the Louvre - was once photographed on the seabed in 1986. But its exact location among the “miles” of debris was unknown until it was recently spotted in footage from a previous dive, enabling divers to find it during the latest expedition.
“Much of Titanic’s fine art was made of organic materials, breaking down into the earth after many decades submerged in the hostile environment of the North Atlantic,” RMS Titanic Inc wrote on X.
“But some art was built to stand the test of time, like the Roman goddess Diana who sat atop the fireplace mantle in the First Class Lounge.
“Following 112 years on the ocean floor and a brief sighting in 1986, she is still resting upright among miles of debris. Like the eternal Roman deities, she is timeless - and she is rediscovered thanks to Expedition 2024.”
The team also discovered a large section of railing from the ship’s bow has fallen off.
The railing was made famous by Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio in the “king of the world” scene in the 1997James Cameron film Titanic, but when the expedition team gained their first sight of it on July 29 they were “shaken by a significant change to the familiar silhouette”.
“The once miraculously intact railing surrounding the bow’s forecastle deck was missing a 15-foot-long section on the port side,” Titanic Inc said on its website.
“The section of railing had fallen as one piece and was lying on the seafloor directly below.
“We are saddened by this loss and the inevitable decay of the ship and the debris.
“Over the course of the next few weeks and months, we will conduct a more thorough review of Titanic’s condition and her changes over time. Although Titanic’s collapse is inevitable, this evidence strengthens our mission to preserve and document what we can before it is too late.”
RMS Titanic was a vast British ocean liner which sank on April 15, 1912, after striking an iceberg during its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York City.
Around 1,500 people are believed to have died, of an estimated 2,200 passengers and crew on board.
The wreck of the ship was located, around 2.4 miles below the surface of the Atlantic Ocean, by a joint French and US expedition on September 1, 1985.
Last year, five people tragically died while descending to see the wreck of the Titanic on board a 22-foot submersible named Titan.
