"diana and actaeon" is part of a series of seven famous canvases, the "poesies", depicting mythological scenes from ovid's "metamorphoses" painted for philip ii of spain (after maximilian ii, holy roman emperor had declined titian's offer to paint them for him). the work remained in the spanish royal collection until 1704, when king philip v gave it to the french ambassador. it was soon acquired by philippe ii, duke of orléans, nephew of louis xiv, and regent of france during the minority of louis xv, for his collection, one of the finest ever assembled. after the french revolution, the orleans collection was sold to a brussels dealer by louis philippe ii, duke of orléans in 1791, two years before he was guillotined. this dealer then exhibited many pictures from the collection (including the titians) in london.