https://venice.dahvc.org/fall-2020/files/original/The_Death_of_Actaeon/2444.jpg dea30df8e553900b9cd837e4e3565f73 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Death of Actaeon Description An account of the resource The Death of Actaeon was a piece in a large mythological series created for King Phillip II, the son of King Charles and the king of Spain [1]. “Poesie”, the other name for this particular cycle, was painted by the world-renown painter Titian. [2] This cycle, which was begun in 1551, includes many similar mythological stories to pieces like Diana and Actaeon and Diana and Callisto.[2] Unlike the two aforementioned paintings, The Death of Actaeon was never completed due to the death of the painter. However, this proves to distinguish this piece from Titian's other pieces because it reflects Titian’s style much later on in life, which includes a technique now known as magic impressionism. [2] It also gives viewers insight into how his work transformed to be much more vivid and fierce as his style evolved. [3] The narrative depicted in this scene is a revival of a myth from Ovid’s Metamorphoses and tells the story between the Greco-Roman goddess Diana and the hunter Actaeon. The latter unwittingly stumbled upon the scene of a nude Diana bathing with her escort of nymphs. After Diana, in a fit of fury, splashes water upon Actaeon, he is transformed into a deer, and subsequently flees the scene. However, his own hounds later track him down and kill him as they failed to recognize their master. [4] In this piece, Titian utilizes numerous stylistic elements to invoke a dichotomy between the figure of Diana and the figure of the animalistic form of Actaeon. The most prominent feature that highlights this separation is the interplay of light in the scene. Diana, on the left in this scene, is bathed in a luminous light that seems to glow and emanate from her. However, Actaeon is set in the darker, shadowy portion of this piece. The effect of the light in this piece is bolstered by the environmental elements Titian has included in this scene. For instance, near the figure of Diana, the objects, such as the water near her legs and the bushes near her feet, are painted with a more vivid, brighter color. This greatly contrasts with the dark and dim shadows in the copse of trees near Actaeon. In terms of color, Titian also paints Diana’s side of the painting much more vividly, such as with the vivid blue pigment of the sky behind her and the rich, peach colors of her clothing. Titian ties this dichotomy together using structural elements when he inserts a large, vertical tree in the center of the painting that visually splits the side of Diana and the side of Actaeon. Titian’s pointed distinction in this scene, however, is symbolic of a much larger message. Specifically, the dichotomy between Diana and Actaeon references the divide between the divine and the profane world. By depicting Diana as the side of light and color, Titian is emphasizing her role as a divine female figure. However, by casting Actaeon in the darker shadows, he is reminding viewers that the mortal world Actaeon represents cannot compare to the beauty and light of the divine. Furthermore, by placing Diana in a position of animated motion and with a bow in her hand, he is establishing that not only is she a divine figure, but she is powerful and a divine protector. [1] “Titian”, National Gallery of Art, accessed October 24, 2020, <a href="https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/artists/titian">https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/artists/titian</a>. [2] Cecil Gould, “Titian”, Grove Art Online, 2003: 17. [3] Cecil Gould, “Titian”, Grove Art Online, 2003: 18. [4] Ovid. Metamorphoses (New York: Oxford University Press, 2003). Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Titian Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <ul> <li>Humfrey, Peter. Titian. London: Phaidon, 2007.</li> <li>Zuffi, Stefano. Titian. Milan: Arnoldo Mondadori Arte, 1991.</li> <li>Gould, Cecil. "Titian." Grove Art Online. 2003; Updated 9 July 2012.</li> <li>https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/artists/titian</li> <li>National Gallery of Art, "Titian", accessed October 23, 2020, https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/artists/titian.</li> <li>Ovid. Metamorphoses, translated by A.D. Melville. New York: Oxford University Press, 1983, 2003.</li> <li>Image: Titian, active about 1506; died 1576. about 1559-75. The Death of Actaeon. Place: The National Gallery, London, Bought with a special grant and contributions from The Art Fund, The Pilgrim Trust and through public appeal, 1972. https://library.artstor.org/asset/ANGLIG_10313768533.</li> </ul> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available King Phillip II Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource circa 1559-75 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Riya Mohan Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Photograph: ©The National Gallery, London Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Oil on canvas, 178.8 x 197.8 cm Type The nature or genre of the resource Painting Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant National Gallery of Art, London, UK