Getty Museum

Statuette of Diana

Date

1st century B.C.

Medium

Bronze

Culture

Roman

Department

Sculpture

Institution

Getty Museum

Diana, the Roman goddess of the hunt (Artemis to the Greeks), stands with her weight on one leg and reaches back over her head with one hand, while extending the other in front of her. The goddess wears a short chiton and boots, an outfit suitable for her active lifestyle, and her hair is pulled back in a tight bun. Although her clothing is relatively simple, it is shown in great detail. For example, the oval pin on her shoulder and the double braid ornament around the neckline of her chiton are carefully delineated. Diana's boots are especially ornate. The boots are open-toed, lace up the front, and are covered in vines. They are also lined with animal skins, whose head and paws stick out from the top of the boots. Scholars disagree over the original appearance of this statuette, since the attributes that the goddess originally held are missing. Some believe that Diana would have had a bow in her lowered left hand, and her right hand was reaching back for an arrow in her quiver. Another theory is that the goddess held a mirror and was stretching to adjust her hair.

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