Artwork
Leda mit dem Schwan
Leda mit dem Schwan is an oil painting by the Biedermeier artist Franz Schrotzberg. It dates from 1839 and is held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on Leda’s encounter with the swan, using the bird’s form to convey both the myth’s supernatural dimension and its human consequences.
The painting depicts the classical myth of Leda and the Swan, in which Zeus, transformed into a swan, seduces or rapes Leda. In Schrotzberg’s work, the mythological encounter is rendered through the intertwined figures of the woman and the swan, emphasizing both the intimacy and the tension of the scene. The subject draws on a long European tradition of representing this narrative as a moment of divine and erotic union, often interpreted as an allegory of beauty, fate, or the irresistible power of the gods.
The composition centers on Leda’s encounter with the swan, using the bird’s form to convey both the myth’s supernatural dimension and its human consequences.
Technique & Style
Franz Schrotzberg's Leda mit dem Schwan is executed in oil paint on a canvas support. Created in 1839, the work measures 128 cm in height and 99 cm in width. Classified as a mythological painting, the piece depicts the classical subject of Leda and the swan.
The handling of the medium adheres to the conventions of 19th-century oil painting, utilizing the canvas to render the figures central to the mythological narrative.
History & Provenance
Franz Schrotzberg created the oil painting Leda mit dem Schwan in 1839. Executed on canvas, the work depicts the mythological scene of Leda and the Swan. The painting measures 128 cm in height and 99 cm in width.
It is currently held in the collection of the Belvedere, which is associated with the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.
Leda mit dem Schwan is held at the Belvedere in Vienna. According to the Wikidata record, the painting belongs both to the Belvedere collection and to the Kunsthistorisches Museum, with the Belvedere listed as its location. No accession or inventory number is recorded in the available sources, and no exhibition history is documented.
Overview
Franz Schrotzberg’s 1839 oil on canvas, titled Leda mit dem Schwan, presents a mythological scene in which the figure of Leda lies reclined beneath a swan. The work is part of the collection of Vienna’s Kunsthistorisches Museum and measures the genre of 19th‑century academic painting, focusing on a quiet, intimate moment between the two figures.
Context
Schrotzberg, active in Vienna’s academic circles, often revisited mythological subjects, aligning his output with the tastes of the Biedermeier and early Romantic periods. The Leda motif was popular among his contemporaries, offering a vehicle for exploring idealized beauty, classical narratives, and the interplay of sensuality and myth.
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