Diana

Jean-Antoine Houdon

National Gallery of Art

The head, shoulders, and breasts of a woman are carved from white marble in this free-standing sculpture. In this view, the woman’s shoulders angle to our right, and she turns her face back to look off to the left. She has a straight nose, almond-shaped eyes, full cheeks, and a rounded jawline. Her wavy hair is piled atop her head, and a crescent moon with the ends almost meeting in a tight curl is nestled in her hair. A strap crosses her chest between her firm breasts. The arms are cut off just under the shoulders, and the bottom edge of the bust is rounded. It sits on a dark gray turned pedestal and is photographed in front of a light gray background. Writing on the underside of the arm facing us is difficult to make out in this view.