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Diana and Actaeon

Georg Kaspar von Prenner

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Basic information
ID
Ж-868
Author
Georg Kaspar von Prenner
Name
Diana and Actaeon
Technique
oil painting
Material
canvas oil
Dimensions (height x width, cm)
99.5 x 72
Additionally
Type
painting
Genre
mythological painting
Provenance
the Goluchowski collection
Information about author
Author
Georg Kaspar von Prenner
Artist's lifetime
1720–1766
Country
Austria
Biography
Georg Kaspar von Prenner (1720–1766) was an Austrian artist and copper engraver. He was born in Vienna into the family of Anton Josef von Prenner, a court artist for the imperial family. He received the foundations of his professional education in his father's workshop. From 1742 to 1745, he studied and worked in Rome, and from 1750 to 1755, he worked in Saint Petersburg at the court of Empress Elizabeth. In 1762, he returned to Rome and passed away shortly after that. He primarily created works on religious and mythological themes inspired by the works of Italian masters of the High Renaissance and Mannerism, particularly Annibale and Agostino Carracci.
Object description
The painting depicts a well-known scene from Greek mythology, one of the favourite subjects of salon painting. Diana, the protector of hunters, weavers, and mothers, is shown bathing with the nymphs in a grotto. Diana can be recognised by her attributes – a crescent moon in her hair, a spear she holds in her hand, and a quiver of arrows hanging from a nearby tree. The young hunter Actaeon saw her and stood frozen, unable to take his eyes off her divine beauty. Enraged by seeing the young man, the goddess transformed him into a stag. Later, the unfortunate man was killed by his hounds, who did not recognise their master. The artist captures the moment of the young man's transformation into an animal – Actaeon is fleeing, still retaining his human form. Still, delicate antlers are beginning to sprout from his head. The painting is executed in a cool brown and blue palette, effectively highlighting the pearly pink tones of the nude female bodies.
Legal regulation
Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery

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