Diana and Callisto

Dosso Dossi's Diana and Callisto depicts the tragic story from Ovid where the huntress goddess discovers that one of her nymph companions has been impregnated by Jupiter, resulting in Callisto's expulsion from the divine hunting company. This subject, involving the violation of a vow of chastity through divine force, was among the most complex mythological subjects in terms of its moral implications, and its depiction by a court painter served the Este court's sophisticated engagement with classical literature. Dosso's characteristic atmospheric landscape and warm figure coloring create the enchanted outdoor setting appropriate to this story of divine presence and human vulnerability.

Dosso's characteristically rich, saturated colors and atmospheric landscape setting create a dreamlike quality, with the lush vegetation and golden light that distinguish his mythological paintings from those of his Venetian contemporaries.