The Rape of Europa

Titian painted The Rape of Europa around 1560 to 1562 for King Philip II of Spain. It is one of six mythological paintings he produced for Philip over a decade, a series he called his "poesie" or painted poems. Europa, a Phoenician princess, lies on the back of a bull, her body twisted toward the viewer, her clothes billowing in the wind. The bull is Jupiter in disguise, carrying her across the sea to Crete. Behind her, a group of attendants waves from the shore. In the distance, mountains and a hazy sky. The canvas is large, roughly 70 by 81 inches, landscape format. The colors are rich: deep blues, warm flesh tones, and the pink of Europa's drapery. Titian was in his 70s when he painted this, and he was the most famous painter in Venice. He had been working for Philip since 1550, sending paintings from his Venice studio to the Spanish court. The poesie series was based on the Roman poet Ovid's Metamorphoses, and Titian chose the most dramatic moments from each story. Venetian painting of the 1560s was defined by color and light. Titian's late style is built from loose, energetic brushwork, with forms that dissolve at close range and resolve only when viewed from a distance. The Rape of Europa is one of the most admired examples of this late manner. Rubens saw it in Spain and painted a copy. Isabella Stewart Gardner bought it in 1896 and installed it in a room she named after Titian in her Boston museum. Oil on canvas, 178 by 205 centimeters. Titian painted with a warm palette of blues, pinks, and browns, building the figures in thick, layered strokes. The sea and sky are painted in broad, loose washes. The bull's body is built in heavy strokes of brown and white, with the muscles suggested rather than defined. This painting works in a living room, dining room, or above a fireplace. The rich colors and large scale suit a room with deep walls, wood furniture, or warm lighting. The 18x24 framed version in a gold frame complements the Venetian palette. The painting is in the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston, where it has been since 1903. This is a public domain artwork, sourced from Wikimedia Commons. We print it on archival matte paper at sizes from 8x10 to 24x36 inches, framed or unframed. The image is printed at full resolution with no cropping.