Nimf van Diana haalt een pijl uit de hals van een hert 1798 - 1824

Jean Louis Potrelle created this print called 'Nimf van Diana haalt een pijl uit de hals van een hert', or 'Nymph of Diana Removes an Arrow from a Deer's Neck', sometime between the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It was a period deeply entrenched in Neoclassicism, which favored a return to classical antiquity. The depiction of Diana, the Roman goddess of the hunt, presents an interesting intersection of power, vulnerability, and care. Traditionally, Diana embodies female strength and independence, yet here, we see her in an act of compassion, tending to a wounded deer. Consider what this suggests about the complexities of femininity and the multiple roles women occupy in society. Is Potrelle suggesting that care and strength are not mutually exclusive? Also, the deer itself, often a symbol of wildness, here becomes an object of empathy. It’s a poignant moment, isn’t it? One that perhaps invites us to reflect on our relationship with the natural world, and our own capacities for both harm and healing.