Luna or Diana 1600 - 1625

Joseph Limosin crafted this enamel plaque of Luna or Diana in the 18th century. The goddess stands with a crescent moon in her hair and a lunar orb in hand, symbols of her dominion over the night and the hunt. But let us consider the laurel branches framing her. These sprigs of victory and honor reach back to Apollo, divinity of light and reason, yet here, they encircle a figure of the night. This interweaving of symbols speaks to a deeper, perhaps subconscious, human desire to reconcile opposing forces. The melancholic pull of the moon, the huntress's fierce independence—these are potent images that resonate across epochs. We see echoes of this Diana in the Hindu goddess Durga, or even in the solitary strength of a medieval Madonna. These images, though culturally distinct, share a common thread—a powerful feminine archetype that embodies both strength and mystery, a duality that continues to intrigue and move us.