The story of Acteon and Diana is ancient and tragic. Acteon is a hunter who, by chance, comes upon the virgin goddess Diana while she is bathing. Diana, believing that he will boast that he saw her naked, turns him into a stag. Acteon’s own hounds do not recognize him and tear him to pieces. The hunter was transformed into the hunted for no real reason. The savagery and brutality displayed by the goddess indicated men’s fear of women and sexuality at the time. There have been numerous renditions of this story into various mediums, however one of my favorites is Diana and Acteon from a set of Ovid’s Metamorphoses. This piece is a tapestry woven from wool and silk. It depicts Acteon fleeing with horns on his head and his hounds running towards him with wild eyes. A man with horns is the symbol of the cuckold, a man whose wife is unfaithful. This also reflects the fear of women that was present at the time it was woven. To some men being a cuckold was worse than being dead. Diana is standing in a shallow spring and has an emotionless disposition with a stretched out hand casting the curse on Acteon. Diana’s handmaidens are trying to cover Diana with long robes. There are two handmaidens apart from Diana with lethargic countenances. A bird is soaring overhead in the middle of the tapestry. Birds have represented many things: freedom, knowledge, journeys, messengers or deities etc. but here the bird is an omen, indicating the grave misfortune that will befall Acteon. Birds are woven throughout the border of the tapestry, further adding to the omen that one bird creates. Also throughout the border are monkeys and squirrels, eating the fruit. Several of the animals seem vicious and gluttonous. In the background of the tapestry there is a pair of goats, watching the scene as it unfolds. Has Acteon not been transformed, these goats would most likely be hunted and killed. Also in the background are two birds, one flying down, and the other flying skyward. The bird heading down can be viewed as Acteon, on his way to death. The one flying skyward can be seen as the goats that are overlooking the scene, since they now will live at least a little while longer.
I have been interested in Greek/Roman mythology since the third grade. I remembered the story when I saw the tapestry, and I like feeling smart like that. I also like that it is a tapestry as opposed to a painting and that there is so much going on it as well as the large size of the tapestry.
Jans the Young, Jean. Diana and Acteon from a Set of Ovid’s Metamorphoses. Late 17th Century Early 18th Century. Wool, silk. The Metropolitan Museum, New York
