Artistic Analysis
I chose two pieces of art, each by the same artist at relatively similar points in history. Titian was a renowned Italian Renaissance painter who lived from 1488-1576 and painted several mythological scenes for King Philip II of Spain. Throughout his career, he was known as one of the most versatile Italian painters and was known for portraits, landscapes, mythological scenes, and religious scenes (Wikipedia). In his final years, he painted two pieces surrounding the myth of Diana and Actaeon. The first is Diana and Actaeon, which is considered one of Titian’s masterpieces and depicts Actaeon stumbling upon Diana and her nymphs bathing. The second is The Death of Actaeon, which was never finished and depicts Diana pursuing Actaeon as he is killed by his dogs.
Actaeon and Diana
In Diana and Actaeon, vibrant colors that fill up the canvas and beautiful details alert us that this is truly a magnificent painting. Our eyes are first drawn to the two centerpieces of the painting and the tense interaction between the hunter and the goddess. We can immediately identify Diana by her gold diadem, and she is by far the most radiant of all the characters, which suggests that she is not mortal like the nymphs or the man. If we follow her line of sight, Actaeon is seen. Although he is the largest character and closest to the foreground, his clothing and skin is muted, even more than the nymphs. This suggest that Actaeon is unlike the other characters and does not belong in this space. His arms are raised in surprise, suggesting that he is stunned at the beautiful goddess, and he leans backwards, suggesting that he knows he is not supposed to be seeing this. Actaeon's shock is supported by Ovid’s text, as Actaeon did not intend to see Diana bathing but was brought by accident and the “fata”(176) or fates. The majority of the nymphs do not seem to realize that Actaeon has arrived and it appears that only Diana recognizes his presence, and the namesakes of the art have a private moment. Titian appears to have taken some artistic liberty with this aspect of the story, as Ovid makes it clear that the nymphs see Actaeon immediately: “nudae viso sua pectora nymphae/percussere viro”(178-179) or with a man having been seen, they strike their chests. However, we do not see any of this happening. I think that Titian portrayed the story in this way because this story, at its core isn't about the auxiliary nymphs and dogs, but the encounter and relationship between a man and a Goddess. By carefully showing the eye contact between the two, Titian supercharges the tension. In addition, Titian portrays the setting as in a grove, with a man made structure, and a small stream. In contrast, Ovid has Actaeon “intravit rorantia fontibus antra”(177) or enter the cave dampened by means of fountain. I think that Titian changed the setting of the scene a little, because a cave would not get much light, and he would not be able to play around with exposure as he does in his painting.
The Death of Actaeon
In The Death of Actaeon, the figures are far less crisp and the color is much more dampened. Art historians suspect that Titian never finished this painting, as it remained in the studio until his death and does not have his signature on it (The National Gallery). Like the title suggests, the painting depicts the scene of Actaeon being killed by his dogs. In the lower right quarter, we can see Actaeon, in the form of a man with a deer head, being attacked by his own dogs. In classical art, Actaeon is usually portrayed as a full human, whereas in the Renaissance, by the time of his death, he is often completely changed into a deer. Titian’s painting bucks this portrayal of typical Renaissance art. I think that Titian portrayed Actaeon as still human, because to turn him into a deer deprives him of his humanity and dignity in death, and makes the painting less impactful. In addition, Diana is included in the painting which contradicts Ovid’s portrayal of Actaeon’s death. Ovid says that Diana splashes water on Actaeon, and then he flees and is eventually eaten by his dogs. This would place Actaeon far away from Diana when he dies, but Titian shows Diana aggressively moving towards him. I think that Titian included Diana, because having the two in the frame provides a more direct confrontation. In addition, she holds her bow threateningly in the direction of Actaeon, but no arrow is visible anywhere and her bow does not appear to have a bowstring. I think that Titian portrayed Diana pointing a bow at Actaeon because she was the cause of his death. By having her in the frame and aiming her bow, we can see the direct correlation between her actions and his death, as opposed to just having the dogs killing Actaeon. The lack of an arrow and bowstring support the theory that Titian never finished the art piece. In fact, an x-ray of the painting shows an extraordinary amount of changes (The National Gallery). However, art historians at the National Gallery agree that even though Titian might not have definitively finished the painting to his satisfaction, it is a complete painting.