Diana and Endymion

Diana and Endymion gives a riotous, operatic account of the moon goddess descending in a blaze of light to embrace the shepherd Endymion, whom fate had cast into endless sleep so that he might remain forever young. Luca Giordano, whose speed of execution won him the nickname Luca Fa Presto (Luca, work fast), ruled Neapolitan painting in the later seventeenth century and was the supreme transmitter of the colouristic drama of the High Baroque. Painted about 1675 to 1680, the canvas sums up his gift: cascading putti, billowing drapery in pink, blue and gold, and the spectacular, theatrical handling that made him the most sought-after decorator in Europe.