The Metamorphosis of Actaeon
1535–55
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
16 3/4 x 22 1/2 in. (42.6 x 57.2 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1980
Accession Number
1980.1094.3
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold *The Metamorphosis of Actaeon*, a captivating etching by Luca Penni and Jeanignon, created between 1535 and1555. This large-scale print (16¾ × 22½ inches) draws from Ovid's *Metoses*, depicting the tragic moment when the hunter Actaeon unwittingly spies on the goddess Diana and her nymphs bathing. Transformed into a stag by the furious Diana, Actaeon faces a horrifying fate at the hands of his ownounds. The composition brims with dynamic figures—female nudes, Cupid, and Diana amid lush trees—evoking the mythological drama and sensuality of Renaissance storytelling. As masters of the Fo...
About the Artist
Luca Penni|Jean Mignon · 1500–1557
Comment on works: Religious