ticketsMember | Make a donation

Diana

1849
Not on view

Diana, the Roman goddess of the hunt, is famously chaste and modest, but Diaz de la Peña depicts her half-nude, with a retinue of beautiful women and a young arrow-bearer who resembles Cupid, the god of love. Bright illumination and draperies emphasize the physicality of the goddess, while her companions are cast in shadow. The soft brushwork and warm colors reflect the artist’s admiration for earlier Italian and French painting. Diaz specialized in this type of idealized, romantic imagery, but he also earned a considerable reputation as a painter of naturalistic landscapes.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Diana
  • Artist: Narcisse-Virgile Diaz de la Peña (French, Bordeaux 1808–1876 Menton)
  • Date: 1849
  • Medium: Oil on canvas
  • Dimensions: 46 1/2 x 27 3/4 in. (118.1 x 70.5 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: Bequest of Collis P. Huntington, 1900
  • Object Number: 25.110.30
  • Curatorial Department: European Paintings

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Figure composition, Narcisse-Virgile Diaz de la Peña French, Black chalk on wove paper (probably torn from letterhead printed: Maison/ en chine &/ au japon./ M)
Figure composition
Narcisse-Virgile Diaz de la Peña
1820–76
Woman holding an open jewelry box (recto); Studies for a figure composition and a leaded window (verso), Narcisse-Virgile Diaz de la Peña French, Black chalk; verso: black chalk and graphite on wove paper
Woman holding an open jewelry box (recto); Studies for a figure composition and a leaded window (verso)
Narcisse-Virgile Diaz de la Peña
1820–76
Mother and Child and a Female Figure, Narcisse-Virgile Diaz de la Peña French, Graphite
Mother and Child and a Female Figure
Narcisse-Virgile Diaz de la Peña
19th century
Sheet of figure studies, Narcisse-Virgile Diaz de la Peña French, Pen and brown ink
Sheet of figure studies
Narcisse-Virgile Diaz de la Peña
19th century
Studies for a figure composition, Narcisse-Virgile Diaz de la Peña French, Black chalk and pen and brown ink on wove paper (possibly a page from a Salon catalogue: numbered page 6, with cat. nos. 26-34)
Studies for a figure composition
Narcisse-Virgile Diaz de la Peña
1820–76

Related Content

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.