Diana the Huntress (French:Diane chasseresse) is an oil-on-canvas painting by an anonymous artist of theSchool of Fontainebleau. Painted in about 1550, it is a mythical representation ofDiane de Poitiers, the mistress of KingHenry II, in the guise of the goddessDiana.[1] It is in theLouvre, which acquired it in 1840.[2]
In its linear elegance the painting exemplifies the French version of theNorthern Mannerist style that was introduced to France by Italian artists such asRosso Fiorentino andFrancesco Primaticcio in the 1530s. It is one of many works by artists of the School of Fontainebleau depictingDiane de Poitiers, who was often personified as Diana, the Roman goddess of the hunt.[1] The nude figure carries a bow and a quiver of arrows, and is accompanied by a dog. In her hair is an ornament in the shape of a crescent moon, an attribute of the goddess.[3]
The painting was previously attributed to the Italian artistLuca Penni.[4]
