A Roman Marble Diana Venatrix Height 40 inches.

CIRCA 2ND CENTURY C.E.

the goddess of the hunt depicted in quick motion accompanied by her hunting dog at her left side, her left leg in forward stride, shod in elaborately-laced sandals, her right extended behind, her quiver over her right shoulder, her short, sleeveless chiton with overfold, bound up in a billowing sash tied over her shoulder and around her waist, the diaphanous fabric revealing the form of her body, her gaze directed toward her left, her right arm originally raised to remove an arrow from her quiver, her now-missing left arm once holding her bow, her hair swept back from the forehead and bound in a double top-knot, preserving portions of the integral plinth.

Height 40 inches.

Provenance: Sotheby's New York, Antiquities and Islamic Art, March 1-2, 1984, Lot 73 Private Collection of an American Paintings Dealer Acquired from Robin Symes, London, 1986 Note: The goddess Diana to the Romans, Artemis to the Greeks, was the twin sister of Apollo. She was a tireless hunter and the overseer of animals who eventually also came to represent chastity, as well as lunar responsibilities. As Diana Venatrix she is goddess of the chase, and she is shown, as here, in targeted pursuit, bow drawn, wind in her hair and costume. The iconography of the type is thought to be based on a Hellenistic original. It has been dubbed the Rospigliosi type, after an example in the Palazzo Rospigliosi in Rome. It is known in dozens of Roman copies and is thought to carry associations with the Attalid dedications in Pergamon and Athens.