Claude Lorrain - The Rape of Europa | Fine Art Poster

Claude Lorrain (1600-1682), the French painter and etcher who built his career in Baroque Rome, made this etching in 1634, illustrating the myth of Europa from Ovid's Metamorphoses. Rather than the abduction itself, Lorrain depicts the quieter moment just before it: Jupiter, disguised as a white bull, has let the unsuspecting Europa climb onto his back at the water's edge. It's a fittingly restrained choice for an artist celebrated for pairing mythological subjects with atmospheric, light-filled landscapes rather than overt drama. An impression of the print is held today in the Art Institute of Chicago's Clarence Buckingham print collection.

Printed with archival giclée inks on smooth, acid-free 220 gsm gallery-grade fine-art paper; available in multiple sizes.