Diadumenè

Sir Edward Poynter was known for his historical paintings. He explored classical or biblical themes, often including female nudes. His work brought him wide respect and acclaim as an artist.

Towards the end of his career, he was appointed director of the National Gallery (1894–1904) and president of the Royal Academy (1896). By the early 20th century, however, Poynter’s art became less relevant to younger artists, for whom classical subjects had fallen out of fashion.

The figure in this painting is said to be that of the Roman sculpture Venus Esquilina. The statue was excavated in 1874 from the site of the Horti Lamiani (Lamian Gardens) in Rome. It is thought to date to 50AD and be a copy of a Greek statue carved around 100 years earlier. Although the statue is missing its arms, Poynter has included them here to show how they might have looked. Using the remains of her little finger as a clue, Poynter depicts her in the process of binding her hair with a strip of fabric in preparation for a bath in this opulent and exotic setting. ‘Diadumenè’ is the name for a female figure binding a diadem around her head.

You can buy a high-quality print of this work from Art UK.

Visual description: A nude woman with her hair up stands in an indoor bath complex. Both her arms are raised as she unwinds a hair ribbon. Just in front of her, a bird stands on the first step leading into a circular pool. The bird faces the woman and only the edge of the pool is visible.

The floor of the room is decorated with a geometric mosaic, with shadows from pillars falling across it. The pillars and walls are brightly coloured and patterned. To the side, the woman’s clothes are piled on a nearby table. In the background, a man is seen walking up the steps out of the baths, partially obscured in shadow.