Diana and Endymion

Based on Greek and Roman mythology, this image tells the story of the goddess Diana who falls in love with a mortal, Endymion. Goddess of the moon, hunting and chastity, Diana is represented by the crescent moon on her forehead, as well her quiver of arrows. She watches Endymion, a young shepherd, who has been cast into an eternal sleep. Solimena was influenced by the dramatic use of light and shadow in the work of artists such as Mattia Preti, also in the Walker’s collection.