Diana and Actaeon

General admission for children 17 years and under is always free

A painting of people in a stone room by Titian. — Titian (Pieve di Cadore, about 1488–1576, Venice), *Diana and Acteon,* 1556–59. Oil on canvas.
The National Gallery, London and National Galleries of Scotland, Edinburgh

OBJECT DESCRIPTION

This horizontal, rectangle oil painting is set in an outdoor bath or grotto, and measures to about 6 feet wide and 6.5 feet tall. Two people, a male to our left and a female to our right, flank the scene as central figures, with two dogs and another figure close behind them. The title of this painting identifies the central figures as Actaeon and Diana. Actaeon is a medium-skinned, dark haired man to our left who appears in mid-stride. The painting captures the moment when he comes upon a bathing goddess, Diana, who is accompanied by six maidens. Actaeon is dressed in a light brown tunic that drapes across one shoulder and brown sandals with orange trim at his ankles. A quiver filled with arrows rests over his shoulder closest to us. His left arm extends at shoulder height, pushing back a dark pink curtain hanging from an unseen branch, and his other arm bends in front of his chest. Both hands are pointed upward in a gesture of surprise, and a large collared dog follows closeby. Diana is depicted as a light-skinned nude female seated to our right, facing Actaeon. Her blonde hair is decorated with pearls and she sits on a bench covered with red velvet fabric. Diana is shown in profile with her left arm, nearest us, extending upward as she gazes over her shoulder. In her hand she holds up a white cloth, as if to cover her face and body. A dark-skinned maiden crouches behind Diana. She is dressed in a white and orange striped skirt and has a shawl of the same fabric draped across her back. Her face rests on the back of Diana’s neck, her arm closest to us extending downward to grasp the bench that Diana is seated upon, and her other hand grasping the same cloth that Diana holds. A small lap dog stands next to the bench and appears to be reacting to the arrival of Actaeon. Five light-skinned nude maidens are positioned on the carved steps of a fountain that is positioned between Diana and Actaeon. One blonde haired maiden looks downward at Diana’s leg that she bathes with a white cloth. To our center is seated a light haired maiden who gazes at Actaeon. Behind her are two maidens; one peering from behind a column, perhaps with a surprised look on her face, and the other potentially unsuspecting, with her back turned to us while holding a white cloth over herself. On top of the column, there is a stag skull. The fifth maiden is reclining in front of Actaeon with a blue cloth draped across her upper legs. She rests her elbow and leans against a step, holding a mirror in that hand. Her arm farthest from us extends upward as she grasps a red and pink drapery hanging above. Her head is turned back towards Diana and she appears to be speaking to her. In the distant background, on our left, a cloudy dark blue sky is visible through a stone archway and several large tree trunks are depicted to our right behind Diana.

Audio Description

OBJECT COMMENTARY

Lost, the hunter Acteon stumbles upon a forbidden sight: Diana bathing with her nymphs in a sacred grotto. Startled by a male intruder, the outraged goddess of chastity covers her body with a cloak. The other nymphs react with a mixture of surprise and curiosity.

Titian focuses this scene on Acteon’s fate. The hunter recoils in bewildered horror at the sight of a stag’s skull and pelt, symbols of his imminent demise. As punishment for the transgression, the goddess transforms the hunter into his prey, and Acteon flees from his own hounds, a scene which can be glimpsed in the background.

Diana’s companion—a bejeweled Black woman—hastens to dress her. Likely painted from life, she vividly evokes the presence of African people in sixteenth-century Italy and Spain. Enslaved people of African descent lived in both countries’ urban centers, such as in Seville, whose racial composition was characterized as “a giant chessboard.”

Who is she? Whether Titian intended this woman to be Diana’s slave, servant, or another of her nymphs whose appearance offered contemporary relevance remains a mystery. Her striped dress matches a piece of fabric decorating the hair of the woman who dries Diana’s feet, suggesting that they both wore the same livery as the goddess’s nymphs or attendants.

While this Black woman’s skin heightens her visibility, she is not the only individual of African heritage in this series. Andromeda was Ethiopian, and Europa’s mother hailed from Egypt. However, Titian chose to paint both women as white, as did most of his contemporaries.

Reconsidering Titian Today

It's not just the death glare of any woman being mad at a man . . .

Matisse DuPont is an educator, artist, and consultant offering expertise and scholarship in the areas of gender, sexuality, and identity.

00:00 / 1:41

Matisse DuPont is an educator, artist, and consultant with expertise and scholarship in the areas of gender, sexuality, and identity. Based in Boston, Massachusetts, Matisse holds a Masters of Gender and Cultural Studies from Simmons University. They offer individual and institutional gender consultation services as well as cultural competency training concerning transgender, nonbinary, gender-nonconforming individuals, and the LGBTQIA+ community. Beyond this, they are a self-taught multi-media artist who flits between inky abstract art, drag, photography, videography, weaving on a loom, and most recently learning to create chainmaille jewelry. A voraciously curious and creative person, Matisse hopes to engender playful artistry, social change, and shared knowledge into every project and person they encounter.

Transcript

Back to the Titian Gallery Guide

The lead sponsors of Titian: Women, Myth & Power are Amy and David Abrams and The Richard C. von Hess Foundation

The presenting corporate sponsor is:

This exhibition is supported by the Robert Lehman Foundation, Fredericka and Howard Stevenson, and an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities. Additional support is provided by an endowment grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities. The Museum receives operating support from the Massachusetts Cultural Council. Media Sponsor: The Boston Globe.