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Ovid’s 'Metamorphoses' (II, 835–875) tells of the abduction of Europa by Jupiter, disguised as a bull. Charmed by the bull’s good nature, Europa climbed on his back, whereupon he bore her off into the waves, only stopping on Crete to ravish her. Boucher typically concentrates on the gallant aspects of the scene, eschewing any reference to the story’s violent dénouement. The picture, with its profusion of flowers, represented Smell in a series of five monumental canvases symbolizing the Senses. Painted without fee for the lawyer Derbais, the canvases greatly impressed contemporaries, establishing the young artist’s reputation as one of the leading decorative painters of eighteenth-century Paris.

The Wallace Collection

London

Title

The Rape of Europa

Date

c.1732–c.1734

Medium

oil on canvas

Measurements

H 230.8 x W 273.5 cm

Accession number

P484

Acquisition method

acquired by Richard Seymour-Conway, 4th Marquess of Hertford, 1843; bequeathed to the nation by Lady Wallace, 1897

Work type

Painting

The Wallace Collection

Hertford House, Manchester Square, London, Greater London W1U 3BN England

This venue is open to the public. Not all artworks are on display. If you want to see a particular artwork, please contact the venue.

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Artist or maker

François Boucher

1703–1770

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