Footed dish with Diana and Actaeon 1520 - 1530

This is a Footed Dish with Diana and Actaeon, made by Fra Xanto Avelli da Rovigo. The scene unfolds within a circular frame, a composition neatly divided between the cool blues and greens of the natural world, and the warm flesh tones of the figures. The crisp delineation and symmetry create a tableau of unfolding drama, framed by the dish's edge. The narrative is structured around the central fountain, around which Diana and her nymphs are bathing. To the left, Actaeon, already transforming into a stag, is surprised in this idyllic setting. We can read the transformation of Actaeon as a challenge to fixed identity, turning him into a liminal being, caught between human and animal states. The artist uses the circular form not just as a boundary, but as a container of meaning. It frames a world where boundaries are blurred, inviting us to reconsider the established categories of identity.