Diana Surprised by Actaeon
| Diana Surprised by Actaeon | |
|---|---|
| Artist | Théodore Chassériau |
| Year | 1840 |
| Type | Oil on canvas, history painting |
| Dimensions | 55 cm × 74 cm (22 in × 29 in) |
| Location | Private collection |
Diana Surprised by Actaeon (French: Diane surprise par Actéon) is an oil on canvas history painting by the French artist Théodore Chassériau, from 1840.[1]
It is inspired by the poem Metamorphoses by the Roman writer Ovid. The Goddess Diana is surprised by the hunter Actaeon while bathing. In revenge, she has him transformed into a stag.[2] The painting was rejected by the committee for the Salon of 1840 held at the Louvre in Paris. It was one of a series of nude history paintings that Chassériau produced around this time. The painting was auctioned by Christie's in 2005 for over half a million Euros.[3]
References
Bibliography
- Guégan, Stéphane. Théodore Chassériau, 1819-1856: The Unknown Romantic. Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2002.
- Sandoz, Marc Théodore Chassériau, 1819-1856: Catalogue raisonné des peintures et estampes. 1974.