Actaeon in een hert veranderd 1565 - 1630

Editor: This is "Actaeon in een hert veranderd," or "Actaeon Changed into a Stag," a print made between 1565 and 1630 by Antonio Tempesta, currently at the Rijksmuseum. The engraving is incredibly detailed, depicting a rather chaotic scene in a forest. There's this sense of impending doom, especially for the figure sprouting antlers. What draws your eye when you look at this work? Curator: Well, it's a dense forest, isn't it? And that poor Actaeon – you almost feel sorry for him. This engraving captures a very dramatic moment from Ovid’s *Metamorphoses*, where Actaeon stumbles upon Diana, the goddess of the hunt, bathing. He is punished for his transgression and transformed into a stag. Tempesta beautifully, or rather brutally, shows us the moment his dogs, no longer recognizing him, begin to hunt him down. Do you see how the lines create a sense of frantic movement? It is this movement against the serene forest in the background, like opposing feelings warring. Editor: Yes, the contrast is striking. The forest feels almost indifferent to Actaeon’s plight. What about the depiction of Diana and her nymphs? They seem almost… removed from the immediate horror. Curator: Exactly! It highlights the capriciousness of the gods. It's not just about Actaeon’s mistake, it's about power and vulnerability. Notice, how his transformation isn’t complete? He's caught between man and beast, between one fate and another. This engraving doesn't shy away from the messiness and horror that is neither tragedy nor a joke, and I feel both at the same time, an honest mirror for this scene, you could say. It makes me shudder and smile at once. Editor: So it's a scene of brutal transformation. Thanks! I hadn’t thought about the nymphs' distance as a power dynamic. Curator: Indeed! It reminds us that even beauty can be cruel. Always keep a curious and sensitive eye to that nuance. I leave it to you, where shall you guide us next?