1615
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Diana and Her Nymphs Departing for the Hunt is a 1615 unspecified by Peter Paul Rubens, a Baroque work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
You see a group of women in a forest, one with a crescent moon on her forehead, dogs at their feet, and a man hiding in the bushes. Rubens painted these women with soft, glowing skin and strong bodies, making them feel alive. The hidden man adds tension—he’s not supposed to be there. The scene mixes beauty with a quiet warning about desire. To see how other artists painted myths, look up *chiaroscuro*—a technique that uses deep shadows and bright light to create drama.
Diana, the Roman goddess of the hunt, wears a crescent on her forehead, also identifying her as the moon goddess. Diana lived apart from men, accompanied by a group of nymphs; she often represented unattainable beauty or chastity. With a nymph at left fending off a lustful satyr, Rubens refers to a struggle between vice and virtue, combining a sensual display of female bodies with a moral undertone. To bring the viewer more fully into the narrative, Rubens pulls the full-bodied figures to the front of the picture plane, and Diana steps forward, activating the space between viewer and subject.…
The moon and stars on the white and black dog’s collar indicate that both hounds are companions of Diana, accompanying the goddess on her hunts.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Sir Peter Paul Rubens ( ROO-bənz; Dutch: ; 28 June 1577 – 30 May 1640) was a Flemish artist and diplomat.
See the richer artist page
