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Diana

Artus Quellinus the Elder1650/1654

Royal Palace Amsterdam

Royal Palace Amsterdam
Amsterdam, Netherlands

Diana, clad in a hunting tunic and laced boots, holds a torch in her right hand and a bow in her left. On her head is a diadem adorned with a crescent moon. Behind her is a deer and at her feet two fishes, a crab and a lobster.

Additional information:
Diana is the goddess both of hunting and of the moon. She stands opposite her twin brother Apollo, the sun god. The deer, a standard attribute of Diana, refers to the myth of Diana and Actaeon, a young prince who surprised Diana bathing naked and was punished by being turned into a deer. The torch alludes to Diana’s role as moon goddess and bringer of light. Fish symbolise virtuous abstinence, in other words chastity, and are dedicated to this virgin goddess. The crab and the lobster both symbolise the moon: the crab was thought to feed by the light of the full moon while the lobster’s ability to walk both forwards and backwards represents the moon’s waxing and waning.

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  • Title: Diana
  • Creator Lifespan: 1609 - 1668
  • Creator Nationality: Flemish
  • Creator Gender: Male
  • Creator Death Place: Antwerp
  • Creator Birth Place: Antwerp
  • Date Created: 1650/1654
  • Sculptor: Artus Quellinus
  • Display: Royal Palace Amsterdam
  • Type: Relief
  • Rights: © Stichting Koninklijk Paleis Amsterdam. Photo: Erik & Petra Hesmerg.
  • Medium: Marble
Royal Palace Amsterdam

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