The Bath of Diana

Diana's Bath is an oil painting on wood, executed by French Renaissance artist François Clouet between the years 1559 and 1560. The panel, full of symbols, has become especially famous for the intricate game of allusions that give the composition a double meaning: while evoking the mythological episode of Diana surprised by Acteon, the scene is also a historical narrative that addresses the death of French King Henry II and the Maria Stuart's marriage to the Dauphin's successor, Francisco II. The work is currently preserved at the São Paulo Museum of Art.