Diana and Her Dog

Download2934 × 4000 px View on a wall Edit

Artist: Sebastiano Ricci (Italian, 1659–1734)
Medium: Oil on canvas
Size: 74 × 55.6 cm (29 1/8 × 21 7/8 in.)
Culture: Italian
Museum: J. Paul Getty Museum
Rights: CC0 — no rights reserved

Rather than being engaged in a heroic mythological story, Diana, goddess of the moon, simply rests languidly in a world of her own. Lost in thought as her greyhound nuzzles her arm, she has removed her garment and seems spent from a long day of hunting

Sebastiano Ricci characteristically employed this graceful, elongated figure type and lively brushwork, but the muted palette, modest dimensions, and reflective tone are unusual for him. Perhaps he restrained his normally bold colors here because he depicted Diana at dusk. This painting shows his transition to a more Rococo style of pastel colors and a lighter touch, leaving behind his earlier Baroque compositions with their dramatic gestures, bold colors, and serious subject matter.

Text: J. Paul Getty Trust, CC BY 4.0.