Actaeon (#1)

Copied Paul Manship, Actaeon (#1), 1925, bronze, 48 x 52 in. (121.9 x 132.1 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 1965.16.33

Artwork Details

Title
Actaeon (#1)
Artist
Founder
Alexis Rudier Fondeur
Date
1925
Location
Dimensions
48 x 52 in. (121.9 x 132.1 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of the artist
Mediums
Mediums Description
bronze
Classifications
Subjects
  • Mythology — classical — Actaeon
  • Figure male — full length
  • Figure male — nude
  • Occupation — hunter
  • Animal — dog
Object Number
1965.16.33
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1965.16.33

Artwork Description

This sculpture is one of a pair that Paul Manship created to illustrate the story of Diana and Actaeon. The hunter Actaeon surprised the goddess Diana while she was bathing. To prevent him from telling anybody that he had seen her naked, the goddess fired an arrow and turned him into a stag. In the sculpture, Actaeon appears to have been just hit, while the accompanying piece shows Diana with her bow raised. In this way, Manship created a link between the two sculptures through the flight of an unseen arrow.