Rape of Europa

Luca Giordano Italian, 1632-1705 →

brush and inkdrawings (visual works)

Date

1652-1705

Medium

Brush and brown oil paint, with black chalk, heightened with white oil paint, on cream laid paper, laid down on cream laid paper

Dimensions

17.3 × 23.6 cm (6 13/16 × 9 5/16 in.)

Museum

Art Institute of Chicago

Location

Chicago, IL

Credit

The Leonora Hall Gurley Memorial Collection

Among the most famous Baroque artists from Naples, Luca Giordano was nicknamed Luca fa presto (Luca creates quickly), which can be appreciated in the spontaneity of his draftsmanship as well as that of his paintings. Reminiscent of the famous Venetian painting by Titian, the drawing tells the story from Ovid’s Metamorphoses in which the god Jupiter takes on the form of a white bull in order to lure Europa away.

Also notable

Works in the same vein

The Abduction of the Sabine Women

Luca Giordano (Italian, 1632–1705)

Battle Scene with Central Figure on Rearing Horse

possibly Unknown German artist or Style of Luca Giordano (Italian, 1632-1705)

Vision of Saint Dominic

Attributed to Luca Giordano (Italian, 1632-1705) possibly Gaspare Diziani (Italian, 1689-1767)

Study

Unknown Italian artist possibly Valerio Castello (Italian, 1624-1659) possibly Luca Giordano (Italian, 1632-1705)