The Abduction of Europa

Metadata

Title

The Abduction of Europa

Description

According to the story told in Ovid's Metamorphoses, the god Jupiter, smitten with the nymph Europa, transformed himself into a white bull and abducted her. Here Jupiter swims away with Europa on his back attended by a host of sea deities. Celebrated since it was entered in a royal painting competition in 1727, this picture has been in Philadelphia since 1815. It belonged to Joseph Bonaparte, who lived here in exile following the fall of his brother, the emperor Napoleon.

Creator

Coypel, Noël-Nicolas, French, 1690-1734

Date

1727

Identifier

1978-160-1
http://www.philamuseum.org/collections/permanent/72198.html

Extent

50 1/4 x 76 3/8 inches (127.6 x 194 cm) Framed: 58 5/8 × 85 × 5 inches (148.9 × 215.9 × 12.7 cm)

Medium

Oil on canvas

Spatial Coverage

Made in France, Europe

Provenance

Acquired with the kind assistance of John Cadwalader, Jr., through the gift of Mr. and Mrs. Orville Bullitt (by exchange), the Edith H. Bell Fund, and other Museum funds, 1978

Citation

Coypel, Noël-Nicolas, French, 1690-1734, “The Abduction of Europa,” Joseph Bonaparte in America, accessed March 28, 2024, https://www.josephbonaparteinamerica.org/items/show/1.