Latona and Her Children, Apollo and Diana

William Henry Rinehart

1870; carved 1874 · Marble · The American Wing

In his interpretations of ancient myths and legends, Rinehart, who was based in Rome, avoided the extraneous detail and emotionalism favored by other American expatriate sculptors. Here, Latona (Leto in Greek), goddess of darkness, is seated beside the sleeping Apollo and Diana (Artemis), the twin children she had by Jupiter (Zeus). The goddess looks down with tranquil affection upon the putti-like infants, later to become, respectively, the god of light and the sun and the goddess of the moon and the hunt. A restrained classicism is also evident in Latona’s facial features, simplified hair pattern, and archaeologically precise clothing and sandals.

Artist

William Henry Rinehart

Date

1870; carved 1874

Medium

Marble

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Rogers Fund, 1905