Public domain
The Rape of Europa
From the collection of Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
Zeus, the king of the gods, has disguised himself as a bull in order to seduce the chaste maiden Europa. To their right Cupid stands ready to shoot his arrows of love. In depicting this story from the Metamorphoses, the famous book by the Roman poet Ovid, Verkolje demonstrates his knowledge of Classical literature. Moreover, he proves his artistic virtuosity by means of the complex composition with numerous figures.
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam’s own descriptionSubjects
Credit lineDe roof van Europa. c. 1735 - c. 1740. Nicolaas Verkolje. Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Public domain.
