Diana a Callisto — History & Facts
Two women recline at the edge of a wooded pool, their bodies arranged in a gentle curve that echoes the flow of the landscape behind them. The central figure, nude except for a blue drapery that slips across her lap, leans back against the other woman, who supports her with a protective arm and gazes intently at her face. A small winged child, holding a quiver of arrows, lies sprawled at their feet, his head turned toward the women as if listening or watching closely.
Above them, two more winged children hover in the air, one clutching a pink drapery that billows dramatically from a branch, the other peering downward with a look of curiosity or concern. The scene is set in a lush, shadowy forest, with dense trees and foliage framing the figures and a patch of bright sky breaking through the stormy clouds at upper right. Light falls softly from the left, illuminating the pale skin of the reclining woman and catching the folds of the blue and pink fabrics, while the background recedes into deep shadow.
The artist uses delicate, fluid brushwork to model the figures and fabrics, with subtle transitions of color and a sense of airy softness in the handling of flesh and drapery. Details such as the scattered flowers at lower left, the quiver of arrows, and the curling hair of the figures are rendered with careful attention, adding richness to the composition. The composition arranges the main group in a diagonal from lower left to upper right, leading the gaze upward to the hovering children and the sweep of the tree branch. Diana a Callisto is painted by François Boucher in 1760.
The work is described as religious art in the museum's records. The Slovak National Gallery lists this painting under its inventory, confirming its attribution to Boucher and its date of creation.
Sources: Wikidata Q51303098 · Image source (Wikimedia Commons)
More Artworks by François Boucher

The Toilette of Venus
François Boucher

Diana leaving her Bath
François Boucher

Spring
François Boucher

The Rape of Europa or Abduction of Europa
François Boucher

Portrait of Madame de Pompadour
François Boucher

Vénus désarme l'Amour (Louvre, RF 289)
François Boucher

Madame de Pompadour
François Boucher

The Three Graces
François Boucher

Toilet of Venus
François Boucher

Triomphe de Vénus
François Boucher






