User:MayaHBu/The Rape of Europa (Titian)
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One of the renditions of The Rape of Europa was painted by an Italian Renaissance, Venetian artist by the name Tiziano Vecelli or Vecellio or more commonly known as Titian (.1488/90- 1576) It was painted between ca. 1559/1560- 1562 and it considered an example of Titian's late style, where he empathize the colors that he is using along with how he is manipulating the paint as way to show texture and create motion. Coupled with the techniques in terms of the kinds of brushstrokes that are used. Looking at the x-ray of the painting, a thin layer of gesso ground is applied, and then later Titian added layers of paint, that combined to create a finished composition.
The Rape of Europa | |
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Artist | Titian |
Year | ca. 1559/1560–1562 |
Medium | Oil on canvas |
Dimensions | 178 cm × 205 cm (70 in × 81 in) |
Location | Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston |
This artwork was a part of poesie series for King Philip II. This commission began in 1553 and consisted of seven mythological paintings that discussed the human condition in terms of women. The oil on canvas has dimensions of 187 cm X 205 cm(70 in x. 81 in ). This painting is displayed in the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. One of the inspirations for this painting comes from Ovid's Metamorphoses where he entails the seduction and the abduction of Europa (consort of Zeus). [1]This is demonstrated in the similarities in Ovid translation and how Titian used these descriptions to convey this scene.[2] The physical description that Titian used concedes with the translation of Ovid, in terms of the way that Europa positions her body and the physical description of the bull. "His color is like snow[3] and " Muscles bulge around his neck". Both of these descriptions follow along with how Titian painted the bull. Europa's description matches what Titian painted," clutching one of his horns in her right hand" [4] "bracing the other hand along his back. Winds keep tugging at her trembling garments[5]."
This article breaks down the subject matter of the painting, such that Europa gets abducted and sexually assaulted by Zeus who is in the form of a white bull. Secondly, this article looks at the viewership of this painting and how it affects the legacy of Titian, which blends into how his art affected and inspired later artists, coupled with how it affects the viewership of the painting. Thirdly, this article examines the representation of sexual violence against women in the Italian Renaissance. Lastly, this article looks at the ethical validity of representing a scene that depicts sexual violence.