Large oil on copper, an aerial and balanced composition, very luminous and endowed with a beautiful Antwerp palette with different shades of green, enhanced by the shimmering colors of the clothes.
Dimensions: copper: h. 64 cm w. 75 cm
19th century gilt and moulded wood frame
Framed: h. 76 cm, l. 95 cm
Attributed to Frans Wouters,
17th c. Antwerp school
Our painting illustrates one of the episodes in the adventures of the goddess Diana, the start of a hunt with her nymphs in the heart of a large landscape.
The foreground, against the light in dark tones, is occupied by tall grass and roots. On each side, trees with sinuous trunks frame the composition alluding to a theatrical scenography.
In the background to the right, the light is focused on the figure of Diana, with a large spear, who appears surrounded by her attendants. One of her nymphs plays the horn, an instrument commonly used on hunting days. The pack of dogs accompanies the four young women dressed in short colored tunics and white blouses, wearing sandals on their feet. The slightly oblique bodies of figures, translating movement, bring great dynamism to the scene.