DIANA BEFORE BEING SURPRISED BY ACTAEON

Watercolor and gold on paper | 33x23 cm.

Diana bathes in the river with the nymphs; everything seems to be proceeding peacefully, as it must have so many times before. But something is about to change. In a few moments, Actaeon will appear, and as he accidentally contemplates the goddess in her intimacy, everything will end in tragedy. Diana will have no mercy on Actaeon; his transgression will be unforgivable to her and will condemn him to his tragic end. Diana's chastity will transform into cruelty, into an impulsive act of destruction. It will be a duality between virtue and implacable severity, between curiosity and punishment. The scene speaks of the instant before the events, the moment when all is harmonious, but this harmony, although it seems eternal, is ephemeral: a simple act outside of plan will unleash calamity; everything that seems under control will spiral completely out of control in a few moments. The story of Diana and Actaeon is a fascinating one that shows us how often completely virtuous and normal plans and behaviors can lead to tragic and unforeseen events. The scene is a representation of the unthinkable, of how fortune can overpower virtue and the impulse of reason.