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
Collection
Citation
Coypel, Noël-Nicolas, French, 1690-1734, “The Abduction of Europa,” Joseph Bonaparte in America, accessed December 21, 2024, https://www.josephbonaparteinamerica.org/items/show/1.