Diana en een nimf in een boot, voortgetrokken door putti 1608 - 1650

Pierre Brebiette made this tiny etching titled 'Diana and a Nymph in a Boat, Pulled by Putti', sometime between 1618 and 1642. Brebiette was working during a period of significant religious and political upheaval in France, and his work often reflects the tensions and anxieties of his time. Here, we see Diana, the Roman goddess of the hunt, in a scene of leisure rather than action, nestled in a boat with a nymph, a cupid at the helm. What does it mean to see these traditionally powerful female figures in a moment of intimate repose? The putti, or cherubic figures, pull the boat toward a group of nymphs bathing, deepening the atmosphere of dreamy sensuality. Brebiette challenges the traditional representations of women and power, offering instead a vision of female relationships and shared pleasure. Does the artwork maintain or develop alternative narratives around gender and desire? It invites us to consider the multifaceted nature of female identity, both divine and human, and the complex interplay between power, desire, and intimacy.