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Most frequently identified as goddess
of the
hunt, Diana (known to the Greeks as
Artemis)
was particularly concerned with
periods of
transition, i.e., the rites of passage
of virgins
becoming women, or young boys becoming
men
through hunting or war. Though
eternally
virginal herself, she presided over
childbirth
and
the rearing of children. In fact, as
soon as
she
was born, Diana helped her mother give
birth
to
her twin brother Apollo. Her own
transformation
occurred at the famous temple of
Ephesus
where
she became an “earth mother” with
multiple
breasts.
Here, she is depicted in her more
traditional
role
as that of the huntress. She wears a
belted
chiton so finely pleated as to
resemble a
wooly
coat. Traces of her famed quiver, one
of her
telltale attributes, are evident
behind right
shoulder. An exceptionally realized
figure,
with
a highly animated pose and striking
modeling of
the body and garment, this sculpture
is a
Roman
version based on a Greek original made
by
the
sculptor Kephisodotos during the 4th
century
B.C. Though a fragment of the life-
size
statue,
we can begin to imagine the completed
state
of
this work by comparing it to the Greek
original
on which it is based. Judging by the
exquisite
artistry evident in this sculpture, we
can
assume
that this was a worthy replica of the
influential
masterpiece. Surely, Diana would be
proud
to
have such a gorgeous monument
memorialize
her.
- (X.0045)
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