Youthful Nude or Lead Figure of a Girl by Geraldine Lewis Amendola graces the entrance of the Dixon. This work was acquired in 1971 and is purportedly one of a limited edition of 24.
Iron Sphinxes, flanking the Hughes Pavilion entrance, are modeled after those at Versailles' Petit Trianon and resemble very closely the sphinxes illustrated in Great Houses of Europe by Sacheverell Sitwell in the Dixon Library. They were acquired in 1973.
Europa and the Bull, located as a focal point in the south vista from the Gallery, is an 18th century marble group from Grimston Park, Tadcaster, York. It was bought in 1962 when the entire contents of the castle and gardens were auctioned. Greek mythology tells the story of how Zeus, transforming himself into a white bull, carries off the maiden Europa, daughter of the Phoenician king, Agenor (or Phoenix in some versions). He swims with her to Crete where she becomes the mother of Minos, Rhadamanthus, and Sarpedon. The Bronze Planter with Cupids located in the Formal Gardens was acquired in 1973. It is one of a pair once used in the hall of Mereworth Castle, Kent, and is believed to have been there about 100 hundred years.
Venus of Memphis, situated at the east end of the Venus Allée, was commissioned by Mr. and Mrs. Dixon and completed in 1963. It was sculpted in Italy of Italian marble and shipped to Memphis. Wheeler Williams, sculptor of this work, also created statues of the three seasons for the Garden Facade at the Brooks Memorial Art Gallery. Venus, located in the circular garden west of the Gallery, is of limestone. No further information is known.
The Four Seasons - groups of the four seasons are located in the Gardens. This recurring theme reflects the seasonal changes that take place in the gardens throughout the year. On pedestals at the cross axis of Venus Allée and South Lawn, Formal Garden, Cutting Garden, Whispering Bench Winter wears a cloak, Spring carries flowers, Summer carries wheat, and Fall carries fruit.
Young Girl Standing on a Turtle, Holding Seaweed was created by Chester Beach (1881-1956). Beach was an American sculptor and coin designer who did portrait busts for the Hall of Fame and larger works for St. Mark's Cathedral and the Panama-Pacific Exposition in San Francisco in 1915. The sculpture previously stood by the pool at the Dixon's Florida residence.
Two monumental marble sculptures by French artist Antoine Poncet were given to The Dixon Gallery and Gardens in the late 1980s by Sara Lee Corporation. The sculpture Fleuriforme is installed opposite the large American Elm in the Perennial Garden. Pulperose is sited in the lawn area above the terrace and becomes a focal point when viewed from the north end of the terrace walk. Both sculptures are abstract naturalistic forms.
A restored cast iron fountain was donated to the gardens in 1989 by the Canale Family of Memphis. After the restoration work, the Canale Fountain was installed in the reflection pool and has become a sculptural feature, punctuating the west end of the whispering Bench Allée and the north end of the Formal Gardens. It is also visible from the Stout Room.