Landschap met Actaeon en Diana en haar gezellen 1569 - 1613

This is Cigoli's 'Landscape with Actaeon and Diana and her Companions', a drawing made sometime between 1579 and 1613. The artist was working in Florence during the late Renaissance, and the artwork reflects a renewed interest in classical mythology. Here we see the goddess Diana, recognizable by her bow and arrow. She is attended by her nymphs, who, legend tells us, were committed to chastity, and we can imagine their horror at being discovered by Actaeon. Cigoli creates an emotional tension, where on one side we see the innocence of the bathing nymphs and, on the other, the fear and anticipation of discovery. Diana punishes Actaeon by turning him into a stag and having him torn apart by his own hounds. Cigoli draws a parallel between the uncontrolled desires of men and the sacred autonomy of female spaces, revealing a narrative that challenges the prevailing patriarchal values. The emotional core of the work lies in the violation of a private, communal female space.