History Walks in Venice

Diana acconcia alla venetiana — Diana with Venetian hairstyle — Habiti delle Donne Venetiane — 18

This print depicts a young woman in the guise of Diana, goddess of the hunt, with her usual attributes: the crescent moon, an arrow, the dog, the cape to pull over the head, and a natural setting.

Rather unusually, her hair is set in the particular Venetian style, which was in fashion in the late 1500s and early 1600s.

Source: Habiti delle Donne Venetiane, published by Giacomo Franco, c. 1610, in Venice.

Monochrome print of a young woman dressed as Diana or Artemis. Her short dress leaves her breasts and thighs exposed, held up by a few brooches and ribbons. She has a hunting dog on leash in her left hand, and an arrow, pointing downwards, in her right. She has a kind of shawl over her shoulders, which could be pulled up over her head. Her hair is set with elaborate curls, organised as two horns. Between, and behind, the horns she wears a small crown set with a crescent moon.

Diana with Venetian hairstyle

Being painted by the hand of an excellent Painter,1 a very famous Lady, metaphorically transformed into Diana, Goddess of the hunts; and because she had her hair arranged in the Venetian style; thereby making this my effort all the more copious, I have included the present graceful and beautiful design.

Notes

  1. I have not been able to identify this painting of a Diana/Artemis with a Venetian hairstyle. ↩︎

Original texts

Diana acconcia alla venetiana.

Essendo stata da mano di eccellente Pittore dipinta una famosissima Signora sotto metaforica trasmutatione di Diana Dea delle caccie; e perche haveva il capo acconcio alla Venetiana; però per render tanto piu copiosa questa mía fatica. Però ho posto il presente disegno vago, e bello.

Text from the 1878 edition

Diana in Venetian costume

An excellent artist has painted one of the famous courtisans as the goddess of the chase, Diana, in a Venetian coiffure, with which pleasant picture I enrich this work.

Related sources

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Bibliography

  • Franco, Giacomo. Habiti delle donne venetiane intagliate in rame nuovamente da Giacomo Franco. Venezia : F. Ongania, 1878. [more] 🔗
  • Franco, Giacomo. Habiti delle donne venetiane intagliate in rame nuouamente. 1610. [more] 🔗

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