Black Diana
1929
Nils Dardel throws us into a chaotic, vibrant jungle where a dark-skinned huntress—our 'Black Diana'—stands poised with a spear amidst a swirling menagerie. Roaring lions, a massive elephant with tusks like crescent moons, and giraffes stretch towards eagles swooping from a textured green sky. Monkeys swing wildly from trees while snakes coil around zebras, creating a sense of beautiful, dangerous energy. Painted in 1929, this piece reflects the Swedish artist’s fascination with exotic locales and reimagines the classical goddess of the hunt in a bold, Post-Impressionist style that feels almost like a storybook illustration come to life.
Location: Moderna Museet, Stockholm