Diana and her Nymphs Resting after the Hunt

Private collection

mythological

The picture shows Diana, the goddess of the hunt, and her nymphs resting after the hunt, with an abundance of dead game. She is made recognisable as Diana by the small crescent moon upon her brow which identified her with Luna, the moon goddess with whom she was also associated. Diana is surrounded by her loyal hounds, and a wide array of dead birds and animals are arranged at her feet, pheasant, turtle doves, hare, a mallard and a beautiful peacock among them.

Diana and her Nymphs Resting after the Hunt

About the Artist

Adriaen de Gryef

1657 – 1722

Adriaen de Gryef (also Grijef), Flemish painter. He was the son and pupil of the Dutch still-life painter Jacques de Claeuw (active 1642-1676, also called Grief). His first dated painting is from 1675, the last from 1722. He married in 1689 in Antwerp. In 1690, he resided in Brussels, then returned to Antwerp in 1694. Gryef is famous for the creation of small pictures with picturesque subjects featuring animals, particularly hunting scenes, in outdoor landscapes adorned with trees and flowers. His paintings often focused exclusively on dead game scenes or huntsmen with dogs, with the background becoming merely a vehicle for these highly specialised still-lifes.

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