portrait of Diana with light brown curly hair in an updo with some loose curls in front, wearing a gold and silver headdress, earrings with clear drops and an armlet with a large green gem and pearls; figure is bare-breasted and wears a pinkish-red garment and holds a spear on a staff with a pinkish-red tassel

Diana as Goddess of the Hunt, 1607

This depiction of the goddess Diana as huntress dating from 1607 is a paragon of proud feminine beauty demonstrating the artist’s command of the visual language of Mannerism as practiced in the Dutch Republic. The realistic depiction of the crescent-moon tiara, jewelry and spear keeps the artificial pose of the body within the limits of the natural. Artificial positions of the body were created deliberately to emphasize compositional tension. The relationship between the head appearing almost frontally and the body twisting sideways has been rendered in a visually satisfying way, even though this has little in common with any anatomical reality.

Details
Title
Diana as Goddess of the Hunt
Role
Artist
Accession Number
2014.72
Curator Approved

This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.

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portrait of Diana with light brown curly hair in an updo with some loose curls in front, wearing a gold and silver headdress, earrings with clear drops and an armlet with a large green gem and pearls; figure is bare-breasted and wears a pinkish-red garment and holds a spear on a staff with a pinkish-red tassel