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Titian, 'The Death of Actaeon', about 1559-75

About the work

Overview

The story of Actaeon is told in the Metamorphoses by the Roman poet Ovid. In Titian’s earlier Diana and Actaeon, painted for King Philip II of Spain in 1556–9 and now jointly owned by the National Gallery and the National Galleries of Scotland, Actaeon disturbs the goddess Diana and her nymphs at a secret bathing place.

Although never delivered to Philip, The Death of Actaeon is clearly its sequel: Actaeon flees and, stopping to drink at a stream, discovers from his reflection that Diana has turned him into a stag. Titian shows Actaeon in the process of transformation, while he is being torn to death by his own hounds. The death scene was rare in Italian art and Titian may never have seen another painting of it.

While conceived around 1559, The Death of Actaeon was mostly painted when Titian was in his mid-eighties. It may not be entirely finished and could be one of the pictures left in his studio at the time of his death.

Key facts

Details

Full title
The Death of Actaeon
Artist
Titian
Artist dates
active about 1506; died 1576
Date made
about 1559-75
Medium and support
oil on canvas
Dimensions
178.8 × 197.8 cm
Acquisition credit
Bought with a special grant and contributions from the Art Fund, The Pilgrim Trust and through public appeal, 1972
Inventory number
NG6420
Location
Not on display
Collection
Main Collection
Commissioners
Frame
16th-century Venetian Frame

About this record

If you know more about this painting or have spotted an error, please contact us. Please note that exhibition histories are listed from 2009 onwards. Bibliographies may not be complete; more comprehensive information is available in the National Gallery Library.

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