Flanders / c. 1615
Diana and Her Nymphs Departing for the Hunt
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Diana and Her Nymphs Departing for the Hunt as painting (Flanders · c. 1615).
The moon and stars on the white and black dog’s collar indicate that both hounds are companions of Diana, accompanying the goddess on her hunts.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this painting as oil on canvas and credits Peter Paul Rubens (Flemish, 1577–1640).
The museum's collection notes: Diana, the Roman goddess of the hunt, wears a crescent on her forehead, also identifying her as the moon goddess. Diana lived apart from men, accompanied by a group of nymphs; she often represented unattainable beauty or chastity. With a nymph at left fending off a lustful satyr, Rubens refers to a struggle between vice and virtue, combining a sensual display of female bodies with a moral undertone. To bring the viewer more fully into the narrative, Rubens pulls the full-bodied figures to the front of the picture plane, and Diana steps forward, activating the space between viewer and subject. The nymph at the right has the features of Isabell
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtDiana and Her Nymphs Departing for the HuntOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.