The Rape of Europa

Introduction

    The Rape of Europa is an oil-on-canvas painting by Italian Renaissance artist Tiziano Vecelli, more commonly known as Titian. The painting was created between 1560 and 1562 in Venice, Italy. It now lives at the Isabella Steward Gardner Museum in Boston, Massachusetts. It was the last of a collection of work commissioned by Philip II called Titian's Poesie, meaning "Titian's Poems" in French, which is how he saw the works. They were a series of dark, erotic mythologic paintings illustrating the events of Ovid's Metamorphoses. The stories were taken from Greek and Roman mythology, and gave Titian the opportunity to paint interactions between mortal and immortal beings. 

The Backstory

    The painting conveys a story of abduction, where Zeus transforms himself into a docile white bull with the intention of kidnapping the beautiful Phoenician princess, Europa. Her family tries to find her, but their mortal abilities don't hold a candle to those of the supreme God of the Greek pantheon. The painting captures Europa's young friends at the shore after chasing Zeus to the water, as he swims away with the horrified princess on his back. 

Elemental Approach

    This painting possesses many artistic elements that work together to effectively tell an intricate story. The element that strikes me immediately when looking at the painting is the color. There is such an urgency to each shade of color chosen, and the contrast of those colors with hints of bright whites and pale blues in the sky and on Europa's dress. Form is another important aspect of this painting. The distraught, desperate, fearful expression of Europa's body language, and the meek face of Zeus as the bull; the cherubs swooping down with an open hand to try and save the princess. Depth also plays a huge role, allowing the story to stretch across the painting from the shore to the subjects on the run. The painting also has a loose brushstroke that builds on itself to create intricate detail in the legs of the princess, the sky, and the cherubs. The texture and warmth are reminiscent of the worn pages of a storybook, which could be symbolic of the original story being retold through this piece.

Humanism & The Medici Family 

    The Rape of Europa would have never been if it wasn't in part for the rise of humanism in Italy in the 1400s. Humanism was a cultural, philosophical and intellectual movement that relied on and embraced the idea of the individual and his agency. There was a strong emphasis on the arts and philosophy, and a renewed interest in classical Roman and Greek mythology. Artists and scholars broke away from the previously popular religious figures and ideas and began depicting Roman and Greek figures. The subjects in a painting before Humanism rose would be of Christian doctrine only, but this painting depicts a duo of real life people and mythological beings/characters from classical antiquity interacting. 

    Another force in the influence of this painting was the sense of social status tied to art at the time. The Medici's were a rich family of bankers and wool merchants, and devout art supporters with immense political power that ruled over Florence during the Renaissance and stimulated the artist culture. This eventually spread throughout Europe. Patronage to the arts from the Medici family and other wealthy families encouraged artists like Titian to pursue a lifelong career in the field. In an article from Daily History it is said that "The Medici’s used their lavish wealth to patronize many of the greatest artists of the time. The family was directly responsible for some of the greatest works in the Renaissance." Without this importance and status surrounding the arts, Phillip II would have never commissioned The Rape of Europa and the rest of Poesies from Titian. Titian even painted a portrait of Ippolito de'Medici! 

Emotions & Aesthetic

    The contrast between fear and desire in the painting is very emotionally intense. One of the subjects is finally possessing that which they have lusted after, and the other is experiencing a horrific and traumatizing event. Titian's storytelling abilities are illustrated here, and you can feel the way each aspect of the painting works together to represent each emotions in the story. I find this painting very emotional and striking. The story can certainly be applied to modern day, where many women including myself have faced similar situations, or dealt with a general feeling of being inferior or helpless against men in the face of a threat. It can almost make you feel like a mortal up against an immortal. Despite the heavy connection, I would definitely own a copy of this painting. The colors are some of my favorite, and the dark, romantic tone is appealing to me. 

Works Cited

“How Did the De Medici Contribute to the Renaissance?” How Did the De Medici Contribute to the Renaissance? - DailyHistory.org, dailyhistory.org/How_did_the_de_Medici_contribute_to_the_Renaissance?

The National Gallery, London. “Titian's 'Poesie': The Commission.” The National Gallery, www.nationalgallery.org.uk/exhibitions/titian-love-desire-death/titian-s-poesie-the-commission.

Brouwers, Josho. “Zeus and Europa.” Ancient World Magazine, www.ancientworldmagazine.com/articles/zeus-europa/.

“The Medici Family.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 9 Nov. 2009, www.history.com/topics/renaissance/medici-family.

"Italian Painting of the Later Middle Ages." metmuseum.org www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/iptg/hd_iptg.htm.