The bath of Diana

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• Linda asked

  Hello, You mentioned that this painting is just a fragment. What happened to the full composition? Can you tell me more about the historical context of this painting? Would you also be able to tell me how many copies of this painting from this period exist, apart from the one in your collection by an anonymous painter?Thank you!
  Linda

• Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen answered

  Hi Linda, Our curator of old art is on leave until the end of February, so for now I can only tell you what I know. The painting must have been larger since it depicts the myth of the goddess Diana. We miss the part with the (mortal) hunter Actaeon, who sees her bathing. He must have been to the left where the nymphs look. There is a contemporary copy by a follower which shows how the complete painting must have looked:
  https://www.artnet.com/artists/peter-paul-rubens/diana-and-actaeon-W7M0TYXmjgt4fzgz2lEjtw2
  
  The story depicted comes from Ovidius (Metamorphosen) and was very popular during the Renaissance. It has been depicted countless times by great artists as well as lesser talented masters. The Boijmans collection has several versions, but when you search the internet you will find many more.
  Good luck and kind regards, Els

• Albert, Jobbé Duval asked

  Hello,
  I am working on the variations of Rubens' model of "Susannah and the Elders".
  Some similarities between this painting and the Munich version of "Susannah and the Elders" are observed. Do you have a macro photograph of the area of the ewer, comb and brush?
  Best regards,
  Albert Jobbé Duval

• Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen answered

  Hi Albert, I am afraid we do not have a macro photo, probably just a hi res tiff. But you can send an email to images@boijmans.nl with your specific request. The link https://www.boijmans.nl/en/image-requests will redirect you to a web page with all the information on how to request an image. I hope these information will be useful to you. Good luck with your research!
  Best, Mara

• Larroumet asked

  Hello,
  I am working on a subject concerning the place of mythology in Rubens work.
  Would it be possible to have the details concerning this painting (like a historical note?)
  - The subject
  - When it was bought or offered to your museum
  Many thanks for your help,
  Best regards,
  Caroline Larroumet

• Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen answered

  Dear Caroline,
  
  The subject is Greek goddess Diana, taking a bath with her nymphs. It is a scene from the story of Diana and Actaeon. Actaeon is a hunter, who happens to stumble upon the bathing scene and saw the chaste goddess completely naked. When Diana and her nymphs discover that they are being watched, they try to hide their nudity. Diana punishes Actaeon for his voyeurism by changing him into a deer, upon which he is torn to pieces by his own hunting dogs. In the 17th century, this punishment can be explained as a the punishment for the lust that is provoked when seeing female nudity. However, the representation is popular because under the guise of admonition, beautiful naked women could be depicted.
  The canvas is a fragment of a bigger painting. The left part showed Actaeon who came from behind a tree, spying upon Diana and her nymphs. When and why the work was cropped is unknown. In the 17th century the work was in the possession of Armand-Jean de Vignerot du Plessis, Duke of Richelieu (1629-1715), grandnephew and heir of the famous cardinal Richelieu. From a description of the collection becomes clear that the mutilation took place before 1712. Rubens based this painting on a work by Titiaan with the same subject matter. An example of this work can be found in our collection, namely: Anonymous (after Titiaan, 'Diana and Actaeon'.) http://collectie.boijmans.nl/en/object/3610. Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen has this piece on loan from the Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed 1948. It belonged to the former collection Koenigs. Hopefully this information will be of use, good luck. Tanja