Badende Diana c. 1732

Louis Desplaces made this engraving titled "Badende Diana," sometime between the late 17th and early 18th centuries. The print depicts the goddess Diana bathing, and reflects the enduring influence of classical mythology on European art. But there is a need to look beyond the simple subject to the social and institutional contexts. Diana, goddess of the hunt, was a popular subject for aristocratic patrons. In France at this time, artistic patronage was closely tied to the court and the wealthy elite. The inscription below indicates that this was once part of the Cabinet of Monseigneur Le Prince de Monace, Duc de Valentinois, and d'Estoutteville Paire de France. So we might ask, what role did images of powerful women play in the decoration of aristocratic collections? What was the relationship between depictions of women in mythology and the lived experience of women in 18th century France? To answer questions like these, a historian might consult inventories of aristocratic collections, histories of art academies, and social histories of gender in early modern France.