Actaeon devoured by his hounds
Statuette
ca. 1630-1650 (made)
ca. 1630-1650 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This bronze statuette is by the workshop of Francesco Fanelli and represents Actaeon devoured by his hounds.
While on a hunt, the prince Actaeon stumbled upon Diana, the goddess of hunting, bathing in the forest. As a punishment, Diana turned him into a stag and he was killed by his own hounds.
Franceso Fanelli (1577- ca. 1641) was first documented in Genoa in 1608, where, until about 1631, he produced religious works in marble, silver, ivory and bronze. By 1635, he was working at the English court. Although he described himself 'sculptor to the King of Great Britain', it is unclear whether this title was officially conferred. The V&A owns versions of several small bronzes listed in an inventory of Whitehall Palace in 1639 as by 'ffrancisco the one-eyed Italian'. George Vertue, an eighteenth century art critic, stated that Fanelli 'livd and dyd in England'; he is last documented in 1641 and believed to have died soon after.
While on a hunt, the prince Actaeon stumbled upon Diana, the goddess of hunting, bathing in the forest. As a punishment, Diana turned him into a stag and he was killed by his own hounds.
Franceso Fanelli (1577- ca. 1641) was first documented in Genoa in 1608, where, until about 1631, he produced religious works in marble, silver, ivory and bronze. By 1635, he was working at the English court. Although he described himself 'sculptor to the King of Great Britain', it is unclear whether this title was officially conferred. The V&A owns versions of several small bronzes listed in an inventory of Whitehall Palace in 1639 as by 'ffrancisco the one-eyed Italian'. George Vertue, an eighteenth century art critic, stated that Fanelli 'livd and dyd in England'; he is last documented in 1641 and believed to have died soon after.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Actaeon devoured by his hounds (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Bronze |
| Brief description | Statuette, Actaeon devoured by his hounds, bronze, workshop of Francesco Fanelli (1577-after 1662), England (London), ca. 1630-1650 |
| Physical description | Bronze statuette of Actaeon devoured by his hounds. Actaeon, with a stag's head, is seated on the ground struggling with two dogs, one of which holds his right ear while the other springs at him barking from the left. |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | Salting Bequest |
| Object history | Bequeathed by George Salting |
| Historical context | While on a hunt, the prince Actaeon stumbled upon Diana, the goddess of hunting, bathing in the forest. As a punishment, Diana turned him into a stag and he was killed by his own hounds. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This bronze statuette is by the workshop of Francesco Fanelli and represents Actaeon devoured by his hounds. While on a hunt, the prince Actaeon stumbled upon Diana, the goddess of hunting, bathing in the forest. As a punishment, Diana turned him into a stag and he was killed by his own hounds. Franceso Fanelli (1577- ca. 1641) was first documented in Genoa in 1608, where, until about 1631, he produced religious works in marble, silver, ivory and bronze. By 1635, he was working at the English court. Although he described himself 'sculptor to the King of Great Britain', it is unclear whether this title was officially conferred. The V&A owns versions of several small bronzes listed in an inventory of Whitehall Palace in 1639 as by 'ffrancisco the one-eyed Italian'. George Vertue, an eighteenth century art critic, stated that Fanelli 'livd and dyd in England'; he is last documented in 1641 and believed to have died soon after. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | A.119-1910 |
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| Record created | October 21, 2004 |
| Record URL |
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