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9.5 (2)

by Anthony van Dyck

Diana and a Nymph Discovered by a Satyr

1622 - 1627

Oil on canvas, 144 x 163 cm. (Museum: Museo del Prado)

This satyr’s expressive left hand is central to the narration, expressing his desires and his leading role in the scene. He is not only pointing at Diana, who may be the ultimate goal of this satyr’s desires, but also at the quiver, the bow and the dog- the goddess’s inseparable attributes and those that make her most feared and powerful. With the dog asleep and the weapons lying in the corner, Diana’s nudity conveys a sense of vulnerability. Both she and her companion seem accessible, and that quality is what makes this scene doubly disturbing, both because of the satyr’s presence and for the viewer, whom the satyr involves in the scene by obliging him to share the enjoyment of Diana’s sensual nudity.

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