RICHARD L. MINNS
artist                                                                                                                                                                                                 return
Diana Punishes Actaeon
Classic 19^th Century Rich Dark Brown patination.
Dark brown in the shadows with tones of mid-brown on mid-relief and lighter tones on the highlights.
80 high x 80 wide x 40cm deep (Base 140 x 27 cm), edition of 9
31 high x 31 wide x 16 inches deep (Base 16 x 10.5 inches)

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Mythology:
This famous legend is best told in Ovid’s Metamorphoses.

The Theban prince and mighty hunter ACTAEON, while hunting in the woods near Boeotian Orchomenos, accidentally comes upon DIANA and her nymphs bathing, thus seeing the virgin goddess naked.

ACTAEON stopped and stared, amazed at her ravishing beauty. DIANA is horrified. She punishes ACTAEON by turning him into a stag, a form in which he would never be able to tell anyone he had seen her naked. However, as luck would have it, his hunting dogs did not recognize their master in his new form, so they turned on him, hunted him down and killed him.

Description of Sculpture:
This is the third DIANA in Richard’s series paying homage to the Greek (ARTEMIS) / Roman (DIANA) virgin Goddess of the Hunt.  Richard felt that DIANAs young virgin femininity must be in direct contrast to ACTAEON’s muscular masculinity so, although all three of his DIANAS are connected in face and body, this DIANA is taller and slimmer, with the emphasis on feminine grace rather than muscular power.

The interplay between DIANA and ACTAEON is powerful and sensual, realistic and physical, highly charged with emotion and movement. A masterpiece, conveyed by the Artist at the peak of his talent.

The two figures DIANA and ACTAEON are connected, but they are also designed to be offered to collectors as individual sculptures. In this regard, collectors’ interest will be in DIANA alone as a singular classical nude.

The patination is special. Richard has never used it before, but he will probably use it in the future on many Classical sculptures. This classical theme was a favourite of 19^th Century sculptors, so Richard adopted a Classic 19^th Century Patination. The result is a rich dark brown patination, dark brown in the shadows with tones of mid-brown in mid-relief and lighter tones on the highlights.

Sculptor’s Interpretation:
“A metamorphosis is much easier to depict in a painting than in a sculpture.  I can think of no sculpture of DIANA turning ACTAEON into a stag, although there are many paintings.  My favourite is the magnificent oil by Titian, which brilliantly conveys this great legend, when Actaeon initially confronts the surprised DIANA.

“I have been greatly influenced by Bernini’s marble masterpiece of APOLLO AND DAPHNE in the Galleria Borghese, Rome.  Apollo, Diana’s twin brother, also god of archery and of the sun, was the victim of Cupid’s (Eros) golden arrow which made him fall madly in love with the beautiful nymph, Daphne.  However, Cupid shot Daphne with a lead arrow to make her reject Apollo, so we have the climax of  Apollo’s fiery passion and Daphne’s cold resistance.  The conclusion:  just as Apollo grabbed Daphne she called upon her father, Peneus, the river god, for help, and she was immediately transformed into a laurel tree.  Thereafter, in perpetual eternal mourning for his lost love, Apollo wore a headband of laurel leaves.

“The Master Bernini successfully captured the moment and the metamorphosis when Apollo grabs Daphne who is turning into a laurel tree before his eyes.

“My interpretation of ACTAEON’S metamorphosis starts with a very regal, very angry DIANA, whose nude privacy has been invaded by the eyes of a man. She has stepped out of her bath. Her long wet hair clings to her body. Her first instinct as goddess of the hunt was to grab her bow and destroy ACTAEON with one of her silver arrows. Instead, she decides to spare the handsome hunter’s life by throwing water on him, turning him into a stag, not realizing that his own hunting dogs would turn on their master.

“My DIANA casts her spell on ACTAEON who kneels at her feet, helpless, pleading for mercy as the metamorphosis starts to take place, full stag’s horns already sprouting from his head.

“I’m no Bernini, but I think I captured the moment.

“This is intended to be my last DIANA. However, when I was recently in London, I photographed the current Miss Universe, who has also been a ballerina. If I can work out logistics so she can pose for me, there may be a Fourth DIANA.”

RICHARD MINNS

                      E-mail: info@hayhillgallery.com