Francesco FanelliItalian, 1577Actaeon devoured by his hounds
Can I see it?
Not on view at present
Where is “Actaeon devoured by his hounds” now? Collection: Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Not on view at present. Checked September 25, 2026.
London, United Kingdom
It belongs to the collection, but is not on display at present.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
About the sculpture
This bronze statuette is by the workshop of Francesco Fanelli and represents Actaeon devoured by his hounds.
While on a hunt, the prince Actaeon stumbled upon Diana, the goddess of hunting, bathing in the forest. As a punishment, Diana turned him into a stag and he was killed by his own hounds.
Read on
Franceso Fanelli (1577- ca. 1641) was first documented in Genoa in 1608, where, until about 1631, he produced religious works in marble, silver, ivory and bronze. By 1635, he was working at the English court. Although he described himself 'sculptor to the King of Great Britain', it is unclear whether this title was officially conferred. The V&A owns versions of several small bronzes listed in an inventory of Whitehall Palace in 1639 as by 'ffrancisco the one-eyed Italian'. George Vertue, an eighteenth century art critic, stated that Fanelli 'livd and dyd in England'; he is last documented in 1641 and believed to have died soon after.
Victoria and Albert Museum
Details
- Accession number
- A.119-1910
What it shows
In the catalog
Sources
- Victoria and Albert Museum
- Image: Victoria and Albert Museum — © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
