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Diana and Actaeon (Titian)
Encyclopedia
Diana and Actaeon is a painting by the Italian Renaissance
master Titian
, finished in 1556–1559, and is considered amongst Titian's greatest works. It portrays the moment in which the goddess Diana
meets Actaeon
. In 2008–2009, the National Gallery, London and National Gallery of Scotland
successfully campaigned to acquire the painting from the Bridgewater Collection
for £50m. As a result, Diana and Actaeon will remain on display in the UK, and will alternate between the two galleries on 5-year terms. It is currently on tour, showing at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts
until May 1, 2011.
's Metamorphoses painted for Philip II of Spain
(after Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor
had declined Titian's offer to paint them for him). The work remained in the Spanish royal collection until 1704, when King Philip V
gave it to the French ambassador. It was soon acquired by Philippe II, Duke of Orléans
, nephew of Louis XIV, and Regent of France during the minority of Louis XV
, for his collection
, one of the finest ever assembled. After the French Revolution
, the Orleans collection
was sold to a Brussels
dealer by Louis Philippe II, Duke of Orléans
in 1791, two years before he was guillotined. This dealer then exhibited many pictures from the collection (including the Titians) in London. The largest share of the collection was thus bought in 1798 by the coal-magnate Francis Egerton, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater
, including this painting, Titian's Diana and Callisto
(from the same mythological series of 7 paintings), eight paintings by Poussin
, three Raphael
s and Rembrandt's "Self-Portrait, aged 51".
The third Duke of Bridgewater was probably inspired to buy the paintings by his nephew, Earl Gower
, the ancestor of the Dukes of Sutherland. Certainly, on Bridgewater's death five years after the purchase, he bequeathed the Titians and the rest of the collection to Gower, who put it on display to the public in his London house
- it has been on public display ever since. On first seeing the collection there, William Hazlitt
wrote "I was staggered when I saw the works ... A new sense came upon me, a new heaven and a new Earth stood before me.". On the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939, the collection was moved from London to Scotland
. Between 1945-2009, the Diana and Actaeon and Diana and Callisto (with other paintings from the collection, known collectively as "the Bridgewater loan" or "the Sutherland Loan") were on long-term display at the National Gallery of Scotland, in Edinburgh. As well as Hazlitt, during their time on public display they have inspired artists such as JMW Turner and Lucian Freud
— Freud has described the pair as "simply the most beautiful pictures in the world".
, (most of whose wealth is contained in the paintings collection), but in late August 2008 the 7th Duke announced that he wished to sell some of the collection in order to diversify his assets. He had offered them as a pair to the British national galleries at £100 m (a third of their overall estimated market price) if they could demonstrate, by the end of 2008, the ability to raise that sum — if not, the pair or other paintings from the Bridgewater collection would be put on public auction
early in 2009. Within days of the Duke's decision, the NGS and the National Gallery, London had announced they would combine forces to raise the sum, initially in the form of £50 m (or a demonstration that this money could be raised) to purchase Diana and Actaeon and paid over three years in instalments and then £50 m for Diana and Callisto paid for similarly from 2013. Though the campaign received some criticism for the Duke's motives or (from John Tusa
and Nigel Carrington
of the University of the Arts London
) for distracting from funding art students, it gained press support from both the tabloid and broadsheet print media in the UK - imitative nude photoshoots of it were featured in both The Sun
(using the newspaper's Page Three models photoshopped onto the painting) and The Mirror (including the actor Kim Cattrall
and featured in a piece by Andrew Graham-Dixon
on The Culture Show
). In 14 October 2008 the appeal received £1 million from the Art Fund and on 19 November this was followed by £10 million from the National Heritage Memorial Fund
. From 22 October to 14 December 2008 it was put on display in Room 1 of the National Gallery
in London to aid the public appeal - the only other painting in this temporary exhibition was the related The Death of Actaeon
from the London National Gallery's collection, and they were illustrated by the relevant passages from Book 3 of Ovid
's Metamorphoses in the John Dryden
translation.
Speculation began when the original 31 December deadline passed without definite news and the Scottish Government's announcement of a contribution of £17.5 million in January 2009 triggered a political row, with Ian Davidson
questioning the deal at a time of economic hardship. There was also controversy over attempts to dilute the guarantee that the duke would sell no other of the paintings from the Sutherland Loan should the two Titians be bought
. However, on 2 February 2009 it was announced that, thanks to the deadline being extended to raise more funds and finalise the payment plan for the Diana and Callisto, the £50m had been raised and Diana and Actaeon would be acquired. The final sum was made up of £12.5m from the Scottish Government, £7.4m from public donations, £12.5m from the National Galleries in London, £10m from the National Heritage Memorial Fund, £2m from the Monument Trust, £4.6m from the National Galleries of Scotland and £1m was secured from the Art Fund. Diana and Actaeon will thus be displayed in Scotland for five years, then in London alongside The Death of Actaeon for five years, on an alternating basis.
The painting is currently on tour outside the United Kingdom for the first time in 200 years, showing at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts
from February 6, 2011 until May 1, 2011.
Italian Renaissance
The Italian Renaissance began the opening phase of the Renaissance, a period of great cultural change and achievement in Europe that spanned the period from the end of the 13th century to about 1600, marking the transition between Medieval and Early Modern Europe...
master Titian
Titian
Tiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio Tiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio Tiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio (c. 1488/1490 – 27 August 1576 better known as Titian was an Italian painter, the most important member of the 16th-century Venetian school. He was born in Pieve di Cadore, near...
, finished in 1556–1559, and is considered amongst Titian's greatest works. It portrays the moment in which the goddess Diana
Diana (mythology)
In Roman mythology, Diana was the goddess of the hunt and moon and birthing, being associated with wild animals and woodland, and having the power to talk to and control animals. She was equated with the Greek goddess Artemis, though she had an independent origin in Italy...
meets Actaeon
Actaeon
Actaeon , in Greek mythology, son of the priestly herdsman Aristaeus and Autonoe in Boeotia, was a famous Theban hero. Like Achilles in a later generation, he was trained by the centaur Chiron....
. In 2008–2009, the National Gallery, London and National Gallery of Scotland
National Gallery of Scotland
The National Gallery of Scotland, in Edinburgh, is the national art gallery of Scotland. An elaborate neoclassical edifice, it stands on The Mound, between the two sections of Edinburgh's Princes Street Gardens...
successfully campaigned to acquire the painting from the Bridgewater Collection
Orleans Collection
The Orleans Collection was a very important collection of over 500 paintings formed by the French prince of the blood Philippe d'Orléans, Duke of Orléans, mostly acquired between about 1700 and his death in 1723...
for £50m. As a result, Diana and Actaeon will remain on display in the UK, and will alternate between the two galleries on 5-year terms. It is currently on tour, showing at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Minneapolis Institute of Arts
The Minneapolis Institute of Arts is a fine art museum located in the Whittier neighborhood of Minneapolis, Minnesota, on a campus that covers nearly 8 acres , formerly Morrison Park...
until May 1, 2011.
To 2005
It is part of a series of seven famous canvasses, the "poesies", depicting mythological scenes from OvidOvid
Publius Ovidius Naso , known as Ovid in the English-speaking world, was a Roman poet who is best known as the author of the three major collections of erotic poetry: Heroides, Amores, and Ars Amatoria...
's Metamorphoses painted for Philip II of Spain
Philip II of Spain
Philip II was King of Spain, Portugal, Naples, Sicily, and, while married to Mary I, King of England and Ireland. He was lord of the Seventeen Provinces from 1556 until 1581, holding various titles for the individual territories such as duke or count....
(after Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor
Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor
Maximilian II was king of Bohemia and king of the Romans from 1562, king of Hungary and Croatia from 1563, emperor of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation from 1564 until his death...
had declined Titian's offer to paint them for him). The work remained in the Spanish royal collection until 1704, when King Philip V
Philip V of Spain
Philip V was King of Spain from 15 November 1700 to 15 January 1724, when he abdicated in favor of his son Louis, and from 6 September 1724, when he assumed the throne again upon his son's death, to his death.Before his reign, Philip occupied an exalted place in the royal family of France as a...
gave it to the French ambassador. It was soon acquired by Philippe II, Duke of Orléans
Philippe II, Duke of Orléans
Philippe d'Orléans was a member of the royal family of France and served as Regent of the Kingdom from 1715 to 1723. Born at his father's palace at Saint-Cloud, he was known from birth under the title of Duke of Chartres...
, nephew of Louis XIV, and Regent of France during the minority of Louis XV
Louis XV of France
Louis XV was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1 September 1715 until his death. He succeeded his great-grandfather at the age of five, his first cousin Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, served as Regent of the kingdom until Louis's majority in 1723...
, for his collection
Orleans Collection
The Orleans Collection was a very important collection of over 500 paintings formed by the French prince of the blood Philippe d'Orléans, Duke of Orléans, mostly acquired between about 1700 and his death in 1723...
, one of the finest ever assembled. After the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
, the Orleans collection
Orleans Collection
The Orleans Collection was a very important collection of over 500 paintings formed by the French prince of the blood Philippe d'Orléans, Duke of Orléans, mostly acquired between about 1700 and his death in 1723...
was sold to a Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
dealer by Louis Philippe II, Duke of Orléans
Louis Philippe II, Duke of Orléans
Louis Philippe Joseph d'Orléans commonly known as Philippe, was a member of a cadet branch of the House of Bourbon, the ruling dynasty of France. He actively supported the French Revolution and adopted the name Philippe Égalité, but was nonetheless guillotined during the Reign of Terror...
in 1791, two years before he was guillotined. This dealer then exhibited many pictures from the collection (including the Titians) in London. The largest share of the collection was thus bought in 1798 by the coal-magnate Francis Egerton, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater
Francis Egerton, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater
Francis Egerton, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater , known as Lord Francis Egerton until 1748, was a British nobleman, the younger son of the 1st Duke...
, including this painting, Titian's Diana and Callisto
Diana and Callisto
Diana and Callisto is a painting of 1556–59 by the Venetian artist Titian. It is currently part of the Bridgewater or Sutherland Loan, on display at the National Gallery of Scotland in Edinburgh, with a later version by Titian and his workshop in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna...
(from the same mythological series of 7 paintings), eight paintings by Poussin
Poussin
Poussin refers to:*Charles Jean de la Vallée-Poussin Belgian mathematician*Charles-Louis-Joseph-Xavier de la Vallée-Poussin Belgian geologist and mineralogist, father of Charles Jean*Nicolas Poussin , French painter...
, three Raphael
Raphael
Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino , better known simply as Raphael, was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. His work is admired for its clarity of form and ease of composition and for its visual achievement of the Neoplatonic ideal of human grandeur...
s and Rembrandt's "Self-Portrait, aged 51".
The third Duke of Bridgewater was probably inspired to buy the paintings by his nephew, Earl Gower
George Leveson-Gower, 1st Duke of Sutherland
George Granville Leveson-Gower, 1st Duke of Sutherland KG, PC , known as Viscount Trentham from 1758 to 1786, as Earl Gower from 1786 to 1803 and as The Marquess of Stafford from 1803 to 1833, was a British politician, diplomat, landowner and patron of the arts. He is estimated to have been the...
, the ancestor of the Dukes of Sutherland. Certainly, on Bridgewater's death five years after the purchase, he bequeathed the Titians and the rest of the collection to Gower, who put it on display to the public in his London house
Bridgewater House
There are a number of buildings called Bridgewater House. These include:*Bridgewater House, Barrow, Cheshire*Bridgewater House, Belton, Lincolnshire*Bridgewater House, Langford, Oxfordshire*Bridgewater House, Manchester...
- it has been on public display ever since. On first seeing the collection there, William Hazlitt
William Hazlitt
William Hazlitt was an English writer, remembered for his humanistic essays and literary criticism, and as a grammarian and philosopher. He is now considered one of the great critics and essayists of the English language, placed in the company of Samuel Johnson and George Orwell. Yet his work is...
wrote "I was staggered when I saw the works ... A new sense came upon me, a new heaven and a new Earth stood before me.". On the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939, the collection was moved from London to Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. Between 1945-2009, the Diana and Actaeon and Diana and Callisto (with other paintings from the collection, known collectively as "the Bridgewater loan" or "the Sutherland Loan") were on long-term display at the National Gallery of Scotland, in Edinburgh. As well as Hazlitt, during their time on public display they have inspired artists such as JMW Turner and Lucian Freud
Lucian Freud
Lucian Michael Freud, OM, CH was a British painter. Known chiefly for his thickly impasted portrait and figure paintings, he was widely considered the pre-eminent British artist of his time...
— Freud has described the pair as "simply the most beautiful pictures in the world".
2008-present
The Sutherland collection has passed by descent to the 7th Duke of SutherlandFrancis Egerton, 7th Duke of Sutherland
Francis Ronald Egerton, 7th Duke of Sutherland , known as Francis Egerton until 2000, is a British peer.Sutherland is the son of Cyril Reginald Egerton, the grandson of Francis Egerton, 3rd Earl of Ellesmere. His mother was Mary, daughter of Sir Ronald Campbell...
, (most of whose wealth is contained in the paintings collection), but in late August 2008 the 7th Duke announced that he wished to sell some of the collection in order to diversify his assets. He had offered them as a pair to the British national galleries at £100 m (a third of their overall estimated market price) if they could demonstrate, by the end of 2008, the ability to raise that sum — if not, the pair or other paintings from the Bridgewater collection would be put on public auction
Auction
An auction is a process of buying and selling goods or services by offering them up for bid, taking bids, and then selling the item to the highest bidder...
early in 2009. Within days of the Duke's decision, the NGS and the National Gallery, London had announced they would combine forces to raise the sum, initially in the form of £50 m (or a demonstration that this money could be raised) to purchase Diana and Actaeon and paid over three years in instalments and then £50 m for Diana and Callisto paid for similarly from 2013. Though the campaign received some criticism for the Duke's motives or (from John Tusa
John Tusa
Sir John Tusa is a British arts administrator, and radio and television journalist. From 1980 to 1986 he was a main presenter of BBC 2's Newsnight programme. From 1995 until 2007 he was managing director of the City of London's Barbican Arts Centre...
and Nigel Carrington
Nigel Carrington
Nigel Carrington is the former Managing Director of the McLaren Group and was previously an international lawyer with Baker & McKenzie. Carrington was appointed as the Rector of the University of the Arts London, succeeding Sir Michael Bichard in 2008....
of the University of the Arts London
University of the Arts London
The University of the Arts London, formerly known as the London Institute, is a collegiate university comprising six internationally recognised art, design, fashion and media colleges in London, England...
) for distracting from funding art students, it gained press support from both the tabloid and broadsheet print media in the UK - imitative nude photoshoots of it were featured in both The Sun
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
(using the newspaper's Page Three models photoshopped onto the painting) and The Mirror (including the actor Kim Cattrall
Kim Cattrall
Kim Victoria Cattrall is an English actress. She is known for her role as Samantha Jones in the HBO comedy/romance series Sex and the City, and for her leading roles in the 1980s films Police Academy, Big Trouble in Little China, Mannequin, and Porky's...
and featured in a piece by Andrew Graham-Dixon
Andrew Graham-Dixon
Andrew Michael Graham-Dixon is a British art historian and broadcaster.-Education:Graham-Dixon was educated at the independent Westminster School and at Christ Church at the University of Oxford, where he read English...
on The Culture Show
The Culture Show
The Culture Show is a weekly BBC Two Arts magazine programme. It is broadcast in the UK on Thursday nights at 7pm, focusing on the best of the week's arts and culture news, covering books, art, film, architecture, music, visual fashion and the performing arts...
). In 14 October 2008 the appeal received £1 million from the Art Fund and on 19 November this was followed by £10 million from the National Heritage Memorial Fund
National Heritage Memorial Fund
The National Heritage Memorial Fund is a non-departmental public body set up under the National Heritage Act 1980 in memory of people who gave their lives for the United Kingdom....
. From 22 October to 14 December 2008 it was put on display in Room 1 of the National Gallery
National Gallery, London
The National Gallery is an art museum on Trafalgar Square, London, United Kingdom. Founded in 1824, it houses a collection of over 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900. The gallery is an exempt charity, and a non-departmental public body of the Department for Culture, Media...
in London to aid the public appeal - the only other painting in this temporary exhibition was the related The Death of Actaeon
The Death of Actaeon
The Death of Actaeon is a late work by Italian Renaissance master Titian, painted in 1559 to 1575 as an oil on canvas and now housed in the National Gallery of London, United Kingdom...
from the London National Gallery's collection, and they were illustrated by the relevant passages from Book 3 of Ovid
Ovid
Publius Ovidius Naso , known as Ovid in the English-speaking world, was a Roman poet who is best known as the author of the three major collections of erotic poetry: Heroides, Amores, and Ars Amatoria...
's Metamorphoses in the John Dryden
John Dryden
John Dryden was an influential English poet, literary critic, translator, and playwright who dominated the literary life of Restoration England to such a point that the period came to be known in literary circles as the Age of Dryden.Walter Scott called him "Glorious John." He was made Poet...
translation.
Speculation began when the original 31 December deadline passed without definite news and the Scottish Government's announcement of a contribution of £17.5 million in January 2009 triggered a political row, with Ian Davidson
Ian Davidson (Scottish politician)
Ian Graham Davidson is a Scottish Labour Co-operative politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Glasgow South West since 2005...
questioning the deal at a time of economic hardship. There was also controversy over attempts to dilute the guarantee that the duke would sell no other of the paintings from the Sutherland Loan should the two Titians be bought
. However, on 2 February 2009 it was announced that, thanks to the deadline being extended to raise more funds and finalise the payment plan for the Diana and Callisto, the £50m had been raised and Diana and Actaeon would be acquired. The final sum was made up of £12.5m from the Scottish Government, £7.4m from public donations, £12.5m from the National Galleries in London, £10m from the National Heritage Memorial Fund, £2m from the Monument Trust, £4.6m from the National Galleries of Scotland and £1m was secured from the Art Fund. Diana and Actaeon will thus be displayed in Scotland for five years, then in London alongside The Death of Actaeon for five years, on an alternating basis.
The painting is currently on tour outside the United Kingdom for the first time in 200 years, showing at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Minneapolis Institute of Arts
The Minneapolis Institute of Arts is a fine art museum located in the Whittier neighborhood of Minneapolis, Minnesota, on a campus that covers nearly 8 acres , formerly Morrison Park...
from February 6, 2011 until May 1, 2011.