Diana

Renoir's Diana (1867) is one of his earliest major ambitious paintings, submitted to the Salon as an academic history painting but already showing the naturalistic turn that would define his mature work. He used his model Lise Tréhot as the model for the goddess, grounding the mythological figure in the physical reality of a contemporary woman — a strategy that caused critical discomfort, as viewers expecting idealised nudity encountered something closer to observed naturalism. The painting was rejected by the Salon jury, an early indication of the tension between his naturalist instincts and academic expectations.

The figure of Diana is handled with a firmness and sculptural weight reflecting Renoir's academic training under Gleyre, but the skin modelling already shows his warmth and tactile interest rather than academic coolness. The dead stag at the goddess's feet is painted with detailed naturalism that contrasts with the more idealised treatment of the figure. The forest setting is dark and summary, framing the figure without competing.