Diana and Actaeon
- Artist: Titian
- Date: 1556-9
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Museum: The National Gallery
- Collection record: The National Gallery website
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About this artwork
Diana and Actaeon by Titian. Painted in the Venetian style, this work is one of a series of six mythological paintings created for King Philip II of Spain. The story tells us that Actaeon, a young hunter, stumbles upon Diana, goddess of the hunt, bathing naked. His fate is foretold by the stag's skull on the plinth and the skins of Diana's former prey hanging above her head.
Titian masterfully captures the dramatic moment through dynamic arrangement of figures, sparkling light, intense colour, and animated brushwork. We see Actaeon bursting onto the scene, causing consternation among Diana's virgin nymphs, while Diana casts a sidelong glance that foretells her cruel act of revenge.
The painting is rich in portents of Actaeon's death, with the crumbling architecture draped with the skins and skull of Diana's former prey. In the background, a tiny vignette shows the huntress chasing a stag, a foreshadowing of Actaeon's destiny as depicted in The Death of Actaeon.
Titian's use of colour is particularly noteworthy here, with forms defined by transitions from one colour to another, rather than linear contour. This creates a sense of texture and energy on the surface of the painting, heightening its emotional charge.
See it in person
Diana and Actaeon hangs in The National Gallery on Trafalgar Square, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
