This piece depicts the mythological scene in which the unapproachable Diana changes the hunter Actaeon into a deer and has him torn to pieces by his own dogs for having watched her bathing. The base of the piece presents the forest floor, upon which lies the head of the stag Actaeon, with the dogs falling ravenously upon it. The inscription picked out in diamonds on the rim of the base reads, "DISCRETION SERT EFFRONTERIE PERD" ("Discretion is laudable, indiscretion unwise").
This artwork illustrates a mythological tale about Diana, the Roman goddess of the hunt, who punished Actaeon for spying on her while she bathed. The base inscription emphasizes the importance of discretion in avoiding negative consequences.