Paintings Collection

Bolognese Artist (c.1730/40)

Diana and Endymion

A145; oil on canvas; 16 x 25 cm

Presented by Chambers Hall, 1855; WA1855.208

In Greek myth, Selene, goddess of the moon, loved Endymion, whom she kissed in his eternal sleep. Diana, the chaste goddess of the hunt in Roman myth, was also identified with the moon and her attribute of the crescent moon is visible here. Traditionally attributed to Francesco Albani, this fragment, no doubt once forming part of a decorative ensemble, may be from c.1730-40 by a Bolognese artist close to Donato Creti or to Ercole Graziani.

Information derived from the The Ashmolean Museum index.php/complete Illustrated Catalogue of Paintings.