Sir Humphrey Morice, a wealthy merchant’s son and an animal lover, commissions Pompeo Batoni to make this canvas. He also commissions Batoni to make his portrait as a pendant to this canvas. Batoni depicts Diana, the Roman Goddess of the hunt, and Cupid, the Roman god of love. Batoni bases Diana on The Sleeping Ariadne.

In the painting, Diana keeps Cupid’s bow away from him, and Cupid stretches his arm to try to get it back. This scene shows Diana and Cupid in a conflict, but Diana has the upper hand, which implies that Batoni wants morality to triumph over beauty and love. It also gestures towards his rejection of the Rocco style and acceptance of Neoclassicism.