Victor Wolfvoet II

Victor Wolfvoet II Diana and Actaeon Oil on copper. 26.5 x 40 cm. Provenance Belgian private collection. Although there is no evidence that Wolfvoet studied under Rubens, he is considered one of his most loyal followers. He often used paintings, preparatory drawings or oil sketches by Rubens as models for his paintings, which he liked to execute on copper. He had access to some of these models through his art trade and through public sales of Rubens' works on the Antwerp market. Wolfvoet remained strongly influenced by Rubens throughout his life. In addition, as his extensive inventory shows, he owned several original oil sketches by the master. Dr. Bert Schepers has confirmed the attribution of the painting to Victor Wolfvoet. The myth of Diana and Actaeon was a popular motif in the 16th and 17th centuries. Artists such as Victor Wolfvoet took the story from Ovid's Metamorphoses. In his painting, the Flemish artist depicts the moment when the goddess of the hunt, Diana, and her nymphs are surprised by Actaeon while bathing in a spring. Out of anger, Diana splashes the unfortunate young hunter with water. She then transforms the fugitive into a stag, who is killed by his own hounds, who no longer recognize him.