Diana turning Actaeon into a stag 1500 - 1510

Giovanni Battista Palumba created this woodcut of Diana turning Actaeon into a stag around 1515 in Renaissance Italy, a time when classical mythology was often used to explore contemporary social issues. Palumba’s image engages with the politics of looking. It visualizes the moment in Ovid’s Metamorphoses when the hunter Actaeon stumbles upon the goddess Diana and her nymphs bathing. As punishment for his voyeurism, Diana transforms him into a stag, later to be hunted down by his own hounds. This print shows the spectacle of the metamorphosis, with Actaeon sprouting antlers, while Diana and her nymphs are partially nude. The story serves as a cautionary tale about the male gaze, and the dangers of transgressing boundaries of class and gender. To understand Palumba’s intentions fully, we could delve into Renaissance treatises on decorum and courtly behavior. Such sources reveal the codes of conduct that shaped the production and reception of such images. They would shed light on the social dynamics that this artwork both reflected and challenged.