Diana

Art Historical Context

Luca Cambiaso (1527–1585), a leading Genoese artist of the late Renaissance, created this expressive drawing of Diana, the Roman goddess of the hunt. Working primarily in Italy during the Mannerist period, Cambiaso was celebrated for his inventive draftsmanship, and this brush-and-brown-ink study exemplifies his ability to suggest form and movement with economical, fluid strokes rather than meticulous line work. Measuring just over 12 by 8 inches, the sheet belongs to the Metropolitan Museum’s Department of Drawings and Prints. Such ink drawings often served as preparatory studies for paintin...

About the Artist

Luca Cambiaso · 1527–1585

Luca Cambiaso (1527–1585) was an Italian painter and draftsman who dominated artistic life in Genoa during the second half of the sixteenth century and became one of the most innovative draftsmen of the Late Renaissance. Born in Moneglia near Genoa, he trained under his father, the painter Giovanni Cambiaso, and demonstrated precocious talent, reportedly completing his first public fresco commissi...