The Story of Apollo and Diana: Diana lamenting the death of Orion
Engraving, part of a set of six scenes illustrating the story of Apollo and Diana, created by Etienne Delaune between 1547 and 1548. This scene represents simultaneously various separate episodes, a common feature in the prints by Delaune. On the first plane, in the center, the corpse of Orion lays on the ground, his chest pierced by an arrow and his dog laying dead beside him, while Diana runs towards it from the left, followed by a procession of crying nymphs. To the right of Orion and the dead dog, Cupid kneels, also crying, looking at them. On the second plane, Diane kneels in front of Jupiter, who flies in a cloud, pointing towards the Earth with one hand and the sky with the other, imploring that Orion is transformed into a constellation. This composition is closely related to a drawing by Luca Penni, now at the Louvre, and the dead body of Orion laying on the ground is similar to the prints by Delaune after Penni depicting the death of Adonis, lamented by Venus.
Artwork Details
- Title: The Story of Apollo and Diana: Diana lamenting the death of Orion
- Artist: Etienne Delaune (French, Orléans 1518/19–1583 Strasbourg)
- Artist: Closely related to Luca Penni (Italian, Florence 1500/1504–1557 Paris)
- Date: 1547–48
- Medium: Engraving: First state
- Dimensions: Sheet (trimmed): 3 1/4 × 4 1/4 in. (8.3 × 10.8 cm)
- Classifications: Prints, Ornament & Architecture
- Credit Line: Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1931
- Object Number: 31.77.7
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
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