Diana and Callisto

Paul Bril painted Diana and Callisto around 1620, combining the mythological narrative of Jupiter's seduction of the nymph Callisto with his specialty of detailed Italianate landscape. By this date Bril was the preeminent landscape painter in Rome, receiving commissions from cardinals and noble families. The mythological subject provided a pretext for painting an extensive landscape with female nudes.

The painting subordinates the mythological narrative to the expansive landscape setting, with the figures of Diana and her nymphs occupying a relatively small space. Bril's atmospheric treatment and warm Italian palette create a luminous natural setting.