Diana Returning from the Hunt
Inventory of Foreign Art 164
Oil on canvas
231 x 238 x 0 cm
Not For Sale
Rubens designed the theme of “Diana Returning from the Hunt” as an idyllic scene celebrating abundance and the daily rejuvenation of nature, as well as the sensuality of female beauty. With the format of the painting, with the figures depicted to below the shins and brought out to the foreground, with only a hint of landscape elements in the background, which can barely be seen for the robust figures in the forefront, thus avoiding the impression of depth, Rubens was making a clear allusion to the ancient friezes. The influence of the ancient monuments, which he was able to study in person, is also visible in Diana’s hairstyle, which one can see in the images of this goddess on sarcophagi. The diagonal of Diana’s spear that divides the composition into two parts is the point where the two opposing worlds meet: that of Diana who, as patron and guardian of the virtue of purity, resists every challenge while guiding her companions, and the world of darkness, ruled by the lowest of urges, which is represented by the three satyrs overwhelmed by lust. The postures of these characters in the painting correspond with the virtues and vices they represent.
Exhibitions with this piece
Rubens' Circles
Rubens and his legacy
The oeuvre of Peter Paul Rubens, an artist who achieved unprecedented fame throughout Europe already at the beginning of his career and whose paintings in the collections of the most powerful patrons of his time were a measure of prestige has given rise to unending debates on his actual contribution to the enormous number of artworks that came out of his studio. It is clear from the enormity of the number of works bearing the mark of his artistry that, despite his exceptional talent, inexhaustible energy, and fabled speed of painting, he could not possibly have produced all of them without the help of his studio, whose size became the stuff of legend.