There are 35 paintings by 20 different artists hanging on the walls of Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House. This panel by Glyn Philpot decorates the Dining Room, positioned just above a marble-topped console table.

In the painting, a series of figures extend, frieze-like, across the long panel. The frightened and fleeing nude women on the right, and the seemingly startled male figure in a cape at the centre suggest that this might be the story of Diana and Actaeon: the ill-fated hunter has stumbled upon the goddess and her nymphs while they bathe. The shadowy figure behind the caped man might, then, represent Actaeon a second time, growing antlers as punishment for his indiscretion; these two moments of the story were often combined in painting.

Though he is better known for his society portraits, this work reflects Philpot’s interest in the nude form and the spiritual meaning of ancient mythologies. Correspondence with Princess Marie Louise shows that Philpot was given free reign with this commission, expected only to fit predetermined dimensions. He also painted the ceiling of the Queen’s Bedroom in the Dolls’ House (408570), and contributed a drawing of a male nude to the portfolios in its Library (927268).