The Bath of Diana
Cornelis van Poelenburgh (follower of) 1594 - 1595-1667
Summary
The Bath of Diana was a popular subject of Dutch and Flemish painting of the 16th and 17th centuries. On the left is a ruined fountain decorated with a bust of Pan, whose waters form the pool in which Diana and her nymphs are bathing. Diana stands in the pool in a white robe, her head adorned with a tiny crescent moon, which confirms that she is depicted here as the moon goddess. She is talking to her nymphs, who are dressed in similar robes of pink, blue, green, gold and brown. Alert deer in the distant landscape allude to her dual role as the goddess of hunting. The painting was formerly ascribed to Cornelis van Poelenburgh (1594/95-1667), since the subject of Diana, together with very similar compositions of bathing nymphs, formed a significant part of his production. He was head of a large workshop and the work of some of his pupils and followers, such as Abraham van Cuylenborch (ca.1610-1658) and Dirck van der Lisse (active from ca. 1635, died 1669), is frequently indistinguishable from his own.
Object Name
The Bath of Diana
Creators Name
Date Created
1635-1670
Dimensions
unframed: 23cm x 28cm
framed: 37.4cm x 42.5cm
accession number
1917.154
Place of creation
Germany
Support
copper
Medium
oil paint
Credit
Mr James Thomas Blair bequest, 1917.
Legal
© Manchester Art Gallery