Artwork
Diana and Actaeon
Diana and Actaeon is an oil painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Jacopo Bassano. It dates from 1588 and is held in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.
About this work
Overview
Diana and Actaeon is a late-career oil painting by Jacopo Bassano, created in the style characteristic of his work in the Venetian region.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts a scene from Roman mythology where Actaeon, a hunter, intrudes upon Diana and her nymphs bathing, prompting Diana to transform him into a stag, doomed to be killed by his own hounds.
Technique & Style
Bassano employed quick, thick brushstrokes and a glazing technique to achieve a silvery, dreamy light, imbuing the scene with a sense of alive, shimmering movement.
History & Provenance
Jacopo Bassano worked in Bassano del Grappa, influencing Venetian painting, and his style was continued by his four sons into the 17th century.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Jacopo Bassano was an Italian Renaissance painter of the Venetian school. He was born and died in Bassano del Grappa, and took the village as his surname. Having trained in the workshop of his father, Francesco the…
