Artwork
Diana Hunting
Diana Hunting is an oil painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Michele Desubleo. It dates from 1646 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The work’s subject carries broader symbolism associated with Diana, including themes of chastity, independence, and the untamed aspects of nature.
The painting depicts Diana, the Roman goddess of the hunt, equipped with a bow and arrow, emphasizing her role as an archer and pursuer of game. The iconography aligns with classical representations of Diana, reinforcing her identity as a huntress within a mythological context. The inclusion of her attributes, the bow and arrow, serves to identify her unambiguously, a convention commonly employed in 17th-century depictions of this subject.
The work’s subject carries broader symbolism associated with Diana, including themes of chastity, independence, and the untamed aspects of nature. These meanings are embedded in her mythological characterization and are visually underscored by her active, self-reliant pose as a huntress.
Technique & Style
Diana Hunting is executed in oil paint on a canvas support, a standard medium for the mythological genre of the mid-seventeenth century. The work, dated to 1646, depicts the goddess Diana accompanied by her bow and arrow. As an oil painting, the surface likely exhibits the characteristic layering and blending capabilities of the medium, allowing for the detailed rendering of the mythological narrative and figures. The composition focuses on the central deity and her hunting attributes within a classical setting.
History & Provenance
The oil painting titled Diana Hunting was created by Michele Desubleo in 1646. The work is classified as a mythological painting executed in oil on canvas and depicts the goddess Diana with a bow and arrow. While some records attribute the creation to Marco Antonio Franceschini, the primary attribution identifies Michele Desubleo as the artist.
The inception of the piece is documented as occurring in 1646. The painting is currently held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
The painting Diana Hunting by Michele Desubleo, created in 1646, is housed in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst, where it is recorded under the accession number 1848.
The work has been exhibited as part of mythological paintings at the museum, reflecting its genre and thematic focus.
Its material composition includes oil paint on canvas, and it portrays the mythological figure Diana with a bow and arrow.
Context
Diana Hunting depicts the Roman goddess Diana in a mythological hunting scene, reflecting Baroque interpretations of classical narratives. The work is part of the collection at the Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen, where it has been displayed as a representative example of 17th-century mythological painting. Scholars have examined its stylistic connections to contemporary mythological works, noting its role within the broader European tradition of portraying mythological subjects in domestic interiors.
Overview
Created in 1646, Diana Hunting is an oil painting by Michele Desubleo, a Flemish artist who spent much of his career in Italy during the Baroque era. The work is held by the Statens Museum for Kunst and exemplifies the early Italian Baroque’s interest in dramatic narrative and theatrical lighting.
Artist & collection
Artist
Michele Desubleo (1601–1676), also called Michele Fiammingo (Flemish) or Michele di Giovanni de Sobleau, was a Flemish painter active in Central and North Italy during the Baroque era.
