Why it matters
Instead of a dramatic myth, Vermeer shows the goddess Diana quietly at her toilette while a nymph washes her foot. It may be his earliest surviving painting, and its reflective mood points ahead to his later interiors.
Did you know?
- It was painted in the early to mid-1650s.
- It was not widely accepted as a Vermeer until the early 20th century.
- Around 1999–2000 it was found that the sky at the upper right was a 19th-century addition.
- About one ninth of its width has been cut from the right side.
Based on the Wikipedia article Diana and Her Companions (CC BY-SA 4.0).
