The Rape of Europa
Ca. 1812. Pencil on laid paper.Not on display
For this recreation of the abduction of Europa, Madrazo drew on Ovid’s Metamorphoses and on earlier depictions including the frescoes at the Palazzo Farnese in Rome and engravings made by Giovanni Battista Palumba (active 1500-15). Europa, borne away by Zeus in the form of a white bull, clings to his horns while her companions wave frantically from the shore. The drawing, gridded for transfer, is notable for its detailed landscape and elegant composition.
