Follower of Rembrandt, 'Diana bathing surprised by a Satyr', 17th century
About the work
Overview
The Roman goddess Diana threatened death to any man who saw her bathing. Actaeon, who came across her in a forest pool by accident, was turned into a stag and torn to pieces by Diana’s hounds.
In this painting, the figure beside Diana looks more like a satyr (a mythical creature – half man, half goat), so it’s impossible to be certain what story the artist intended to portray. It’s not even certain that the nude figure lit up as if in a spotlight is Diana, though the presence of the hounds and the towel beside her suggests that’s who she is meant to be.
Although it was once believed to have been painted by Rembrandt, the picture is now thought to be by a one of his followers. It has darkened with age, obscuring the background and adding to the difficulty of a certain identification of either the story or the artist who painted it.
Key facts
Details
- Full title
- Diana bathing surprised by a Satyr
- Artist
- Follower of Rembrandt
- Artist dates
- 1606 - 1669
- Date made
- 17th century
- Medium and support
- oil on wood
- Dimensions
- 46.3 × 35.4 cm
- Acquisition credit
- Salting Bequest, 1910
- Inventory number
- NG2538
- Location
- Not on display
- Collection
- Main Collection
- Previous owners
Provenance
In the possession of R. Langton Douglas, London, and sold by him to George Salting, London, probably in 1909. Salting Bequest, 1910.
Additional information
Text extracted from the ‘Provenance’ section of the catalogue entry in Neil MacLaren, revised and expanded by Christopher Brown, ‘National Gallery Catalogues: The Dutch School: 1600–1900’, London 1991; for further information, see the full catalogue entry.
Bibliography
-
1907C. Hofstede de Groot, Catalogue Raisonné of the Works of the Most Eminent Dutch Painters of the Seventeenth Century, 10 vols, London 1907
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1909C. Phillips, 'Notes on Various Works of Art: A Nymph of Diana Reposing', The Burlington Magazine, XV, 1909, pp. 307-8
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1960Maclaren, Neil, National Gallery Catalogues: The Dutch School, 2 vols, London 1960
-
1991Maclaren, Neil, revised by Christopher Brown, National Gallery Catalogues: The Dutch School, 1600-1900, 2nd edn (revised and expanded), 2 vols, London 1991
-
2001
C. Baker and T. Henry, The National Gallery: Complete Illustrated Catalogue, London 2001
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.
Images
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