The two sculptures of Actaeon and Diana were cast of bronze in 1925 by Paul Manship. Paul Manship (1885-1966)was a very sought after and recognized sculptor in his time. He gave these sculptures away for charity. It came to Tulsa's Gilcrease while the National Museum of American Art is renovated. Diana is 85 x 15 x 23 ½ in., and Actaeon is 85 x 15 x 24 ¾ in.
Here is what I perceived at the museum first (my thoughts changed after I discovered the mythological story behind them.)-----The two sculptures meld together in one action scene. Either one would not be complete and unified without the other. Actaeon with horn looking things is about to be brought down by two dogs, but it looks like Diana might save him. She has apparently just shot an arrow to save her dying love as they both run for safety. Two things I can't comprehend though--- why does Actaeon have horns and why doesn't Diana show any anguish while her loves face is releasing to the grave. Diana seems to be hard and so sure of herself.
I read a translation from Ovid's Latin Metamorphoses. The ancient story says Actaeon, a leader of men, was coming home from a long hunt (for men or beast it didn't say). While his men were resting and cleaning in a nearby stream, Actaeon wandered off to a nearby pool where the goddess Diana and here servants were bathing. Diana saw him and her servants screamed. She walked up to him and said, "At least you can say you saw me naked!- Then Diana sprinkled some kind of dust on him and he began to run but she said some ancient words and he grew horns. She told her servant girls she wished she had her bow, but Actaeon's own hunting dogs were already biting at him and he screamed at them, saying, "Don't you know your Master?- So his own dogs attacked and he couldn't fight them off and they killed him.
Both of the sculptures have strong diagonal lines showing and displaying intense action and unity, yet Actaeon faces the viewer and has his arms raised in apparent transition from despair to passiveness to death.
