The Rape of Europa

Paolo Veronese painted this mythological scene between 1576 and 1580 for the Sala dell'Anticollegio in Palazzo Ducale. The canvas measures 235 by 296 centimeters and depicts the moment when Jupiter, disguised as a white bull, prepares to abduct the Phoenician princess Europa. The story comes from Ovid's Metamorphoses.

Rather than showing violence, Veronese captures a moment of playful tension. Cupid ties flower garlands around the bull's horns while handmaids help position Europa on its back. The bull impatiently licks the princess's foot, and her expression shows bewilderment rather than terror. Flying putti toss fruit from above. The room served as a waiting area for foreign ambassadors, who would have appreciated this marriage of classical learning and Venetian artistic grandeur.