Actaeon (#2)

Paul Manship, Actaeon (#2), 1922, bronze on marble base, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Paul Manship, 1966.47.50
Copied Paul Manship, Actaeon (#2), 1922, bronze on marble base, 10 5⁄8 x 7 7⁄8 x 4 3⁄8 in. (26.9 x 20.0 x 11.2 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Paul Manship, 1966.47.50

Artwork Details

Title
Actaeon (#2)
Artist
Date
1922
Location
Dimensions
10 5⁄8 x 7 7⁄8 x 4 3⁄8 in. (26.9 x 20.0 x 11.2 cm)
Credit Line
Bequest of Paul Manship
Mediums
Mediums Description
bronze on marble base
Classifications
Subjects
  • Mythology — classical — Actaeon
  • Figure male — full length
  • Figure male — nude
  • Animal — dog
Object Number
1966.47.50
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1966.47.50

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.