Artwork
Europa riding the bull
Europa riding the bull is an unspecified painting by the Flemish Baroque painting artist Hendrick van Balen the Elder. It is held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Europa is shown seated on the bull’s back, her body turned toward the animal as she grips its horns, while one hand holds a cloth that billows behind her.
The painting depicts the Greek myth in which Zeus, in the form of a white bull, carries Europa across the sea to Crete. Europa is shown seated on the bull’s back, her body turned toward the animal as she grips its horns, while one hand holds a cloth that billows behind her. The scene emphasizes the moment of abduction rather than the later encounter on land, focusing on the bull’s tranquil demeanor and Europa’s poised yet vulnerable posture.
Symbolically, the composition conveys themes of divine intervention and fate, with the bull’s calm contrasting the human drama of displacement. The inclusion of maritime elements underscores the transformative journey central to the myth’s narrative.
Technique & Style
Hendrick van Balen the Elder executed Europa riding the bull as a mythological painting created in 1650. The work is classified as a painting on a support measuring 42 cm in height and 63 cm in width. While the specific medium and detailed handling techniques are not explicitly described in the available records, the piece is identified as a mythological genre work depicting Europa and the bull. It is currently held within the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum.
History & Provenance
The mythological painting titled Europa riding the bull was created by Hendrick van Balen the Elder in 1650. This work, classified as a mythological painting, depicts the figures of Europa and the bull. It is currently held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum. The artwork measures 42 cm in height and 63 cm in width.
Europa riding the bull, painted by Hendrick van Balen the Elder in 1650, is held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum. The work, classified as a mythological painting, measures 42 cm in height and 63 cm in width. No specific inventory or accession number is recorded in the available sources, and no exhibition history is documented.
Overview
Created around 1650, this small cabinet painting by Flemish Baroque artist Hendrick van Balen the Elder portrays the classical myth of Europa’s abduction. Executed on copper, the work measures modestly but captures a lively outdoor tableau where Europa, dressed in a white and red garment, sits atop a bull amid a group of figures and cherubic attendants.
Artist & collection
Artist
Hendrick van Balen or Hendrick van Balen I (c. 1573–1575 – 17 July 1632) was a Flemish Baroque painter and stained glass designer. Hendrick van Balen specialised in small cabinet pictures often painted on a copper…
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