The Death of Actaeon: Exploring Le Veau and Eisen's Dramatic 18th-Century Engraving

This print, 'The Death of Actaeon,' by Jean-Jacques-André Le Veau after Charles-Joseph-Dominique Eisen, depicts a rare mythological scene where Actaeon is transformed into a stag and torn apart by his own hounds. Created between 1767-1771, it was prepared for the publication 'Les Métamorphoses d’Ovide.'

The artwork titled 'Śmierć Akteona' (The Death of Actaeon) is an etching created between 1767 and 1771 by the engraver Jean-Jacques-André Le Veau, based on a drawing by Charles-Joseph-Dominique Eisen. This print was prepared for the publication 'Les Métamorphoses d’Ovide' (The Metamorphoses of Ovid), specifically appearing in Volume I as Plate 42 for Book III, Fable IV. The composition vividly illustrates the bloody climax of the myth, where Actaeon, a young hunter, is transformed into a stag by the goddess Artemis after she caught him observing her bathing. Subsequently, his own pack of dogs, driven to madness, attack and kill him. This particular scene, showing Actaeon being torn apart by his frenzied hounds who do not recognize him, is depicted less frequently in art than the moment of Artemis discovering Actaeon. The print is a close adherence to Ovid's text, capturing the tragic fate of Actaeon as described in classical literature.