Bust of Diana

Around 1692 the Bolognese sculptor Giuseppe Mazza carved a series of at least three half-length figures for the interior of the Liechtenstein Palace in Vienna. The subjects, taken from Greek mythology, included the musician and poet Orpheus, the hero Meleager, and the goddess Diana, identified here by the crescent moon that adorns her forehead. The compact pose of the figure and lack of carving on the reverse side indicate that this sculpture was intended to be placed against a wall or within a niche.