The sculptural decoration of gardens was allotted one of the leading roles in Peter’s scheme of public enlightenment. The sculpture was intended to impart to visitors a particular attitude to the world and to nature. The images of Ceres and Bacchus are allegorical representations of summer and autumn, blossoming and fruit-bearing as elements of the horticultural aesthetic throughout the ages. The gardens grew more than just flowers; they also produced fruit and berries. The fruit was considered as attractive as the flower: attractive in look and taste. The delights of sight and sound, smell and taste that the garden provided were supposed to prompt admiration for the wisdom of the Creator.
The decorative sculptures of Ceres and Bacchus are modern copies of works by the Italian master Giovanni Antonio Cibei (1706–1784), the first president of the Carrara Academy of Arts. In the early nineteenth century the originals adorned a balcony of the Mikhailovsky Castle. Now they are kept in the Hermitage.