Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn 1606 - 1669
Rembrandt was a Dutch painter and is famed for his portraits and his narrative scenes from the bible and from mythology. He is considered one of the most important artists in the history of European art. Read more about Rembrandt at Wikipedia
The Abduction of Europa, 1632
Briefly, in Greek mythology, Europa was the beautiful daughter of the King of Phoenicia. Zeus (king of the gods and equivalent to the Roman god Jupiter) decided to take her as a lover and to this end disguised himself as a white bull. By behaving in a docile way he induced Europa to climb onto his back - bad move! Zeus carried her off across the sea to Crete where she bore him three sons, Minos, Rhadamanthus and Sapedon. Minos became king of Crete.
The painting depicts the moment when Zeus carries her off. If you would like to know more about Europa there is a scholarly article on Wikipedia and a further discussion of the painting with more information on the abduction story also at Wikipedia.
It is owned by The Getty Center in Los Angeles which also has more information on the painting and the story. |
