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Diana

Diana, or Diana the Huntress, is a bronze sculpture by Jean-Antoine Houdon, modeled in plaster in 1776 and cast in bronze by 1790. Versions are held by the Frick Collection in New York, the Louvre, the Gulbenkian Museum in Lisbon, and the Huntington Art Gallery in San Marino. Houdon’s treatment of the nude huntress was unusual for the time, since Diana was typically shown bathing rather than hunting. The work combines classical restraint with a twisting, elongated pose inspired by Mannerist art. It was admired for its serenity and refinement, and Houdon personally oversaw the casts. In the Louvre version, the original visible vulva was later covered and hammered at the museum’s entrance in 1829.

Bronze statue of Diana holding a bow and arrow in a twisting pose.
Diana depicted as a bronze statue, holding a bow and arrow in a dynamic pose.
March 2025 © · CC0
Diana bronze sculpture of a nude female figure holding an arrow and bow in a dynamic pose.
Diana, a bronze sculpture of a nude female figure posed with a bow and arrow.
© Jean-Antoine Houdon (1741-1828) · CC BY-SA 3.0
Diana sculpture by Houdon in the Louvre Museum
Houdon’s Diana on display at the Louvre Museum.
November 2006 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
Detail of Diana’s bronze sculpture at the Louvre with damage to the lower body.
Detail of Houdon’s Diana at the Louvre, showing the vandalized bronze surface.
© · CC BY-SA 3.0
Close-up of Diana’s bronze head and upper torso, with a staff or spear visible beside her shoulder.
Close-up detail of Diana in bronze, showing her head, shoulder, and part of a staff or spear.
© · CC BY-SA 3.0

Identification

TitleDiana
Original titleLa Diana cacciatrice
French titleDiane chasseresse
TypeSculpture

Historical context

SubjectDiana the Huntress
Creation dateModel dated 1776; plaster versions made in 1776 and 1777; terracotta version made in 1777; marble version made in 1780; lead version made in 1781; bronze versions made in 1782 and 1790; created between 1776 and 1790
Relation to other worksHoudon's transformation of the theme distinguished it from Louis-Claude Vassé's Diana the Huntress (1769) and Christophe-Gabriel Allegrain's Diana (1778, marble, now in the Louvre)

Creator

ArtistJean-Antoine Houdon

Discovery and provenance

Original commissionCommissioned by the Duke of Saxe-Gotha
Marble provenancePurchased by Catherine II of Russia, then sold by the Soviet government in the early 1930s with other artworks, then acquired by Calouste Gulbenkian
Terracotta provenanceAcquired by the Frick Collection in New York in 1939
Louvre bronze provenanceMade by the artist without a prior commission; later purchased by the Louvre after the sculptor's death and entered the museum's collections in 1829

Physical characteristics

VersionsSeveral plaster versions were made before the marble version; three bronze versions were made
Current version locationsMarble version: Calouste Gulbenkian Museum, Lisbon; terracotta version: Frick Collection, New York; bronze versions: Louvre Museum, Paris and Huntington Art Gallery, San Marino

Materials

MaterialsPlaster, terracotta, marble, lead, bronze
Version materialThe initial version was plaster; later versions were made in terracotta, marble, lead, and bronze

Appearance

Scale and finishThe work is highly refined, with a simple overall aspect and linear contours
PoseThe figure is turned in a twisting pose and rests on one foot

Iconography and meaning

NudityDiana is depicted nude, which was controversial because the usual nude depiction is Diana at the bath rather than Diana the Huntress
Original anatomical detailThe original sculpture showed Diana's vulva
Louvre alterationIn the Louvre version, the vulva was covered and hammered over when the work entered the museum's collections in 1829
Salon receptionThe work was regularly shown at the Salon during the years of its creation and was criticized mainly for its iconography
DefendersMelchior Grimm defended Houdon's choice of nudity
Houdon's justificationHoudon argued that the nudity of gods, whose bodies are perfect, is not immodest

Style

Stylistic influencesA crossroads of classicism and Mannerism
Classicist featuresNudity, passivity, regularity of features, pure and simple overall aspect, pure linear contours, serenity, fidelity of the face to Antiquity, and a noble, impassive, intimidating character
Mannerist featuresAn elongated body, twisting posture, and a single point of contact for the foot with the base
Neoclassical interpretationLinked to Neoclassicism because of its impassivity, serenity, and fidelity to Antiquity
Possible inspirationGiambologna's Mercury Flying was suggested as a possible source of inspiration

History and restoration

Bronze compositionThe three bronze versions present the composition as the artist originally imagined it
Marble version differenceThe marble version differs because it was technically impossible to make the goddess's body rest on one foot
CastingHoudon personally handled the castings, which was uncommon and not always successful

Location and ownership

Museum locationsCalouste Gulbenkian Museum, Lisbon; Frick Collection, New York; Louvre Museum, Paris; Huntington Art Gallery, San Marino