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The Abduction of Europa by Troy, Jean François de

Troy, Jean François de · 1716

Jean François de Troy's 'The Abduction of Europa' (1716) disappeared from public view not long after it was painted, vanishing into private collections for over a century and a half. When it resurfaced at a Sotheby's London auction in 1994, it was catalogued with little fanfare. But the painting set off a bidding war that ended at $1.1 million, shattering the previous auction record for the artist.

What you are looking at is the exact moment the myth pivots from seduction to terror. Europa, having decorated the tame white bull with garlands, is now clinging to its horns as it charges into a stormy sea. Her face is the key: upturned, fearful, finally understanding that this is no ordinary animal. Across from her panic, the bull's sideways glance is eerily composed. That calm is the giveaway, it is Zeus, his gentle mask slipping.

De Troy painted this drama in 1716, at the height of the French Rococo. His technique is on full display in Europa's billowing pink drapery, a virtuoso passage of swirling fabric that acts as a narrative speed-line, emphasizing the violence of the abduction. A second attendant on the right looks directly out at us, implicating the viewer as a witness to what is, in the ancient story, a forced journey to Crete.

The painting's long obscurity followed by its triumphant auction reappearance mirrors the myth itself: something beautiful, hidden, and finally revealed for what it truly is. What keeps drawing your eye back to this scene?

Details

The young woman clings to the horns of a beautiful white bull.
The young woman clings to the horns of a beautiful white bull.
Look at the bull's eye. Calm. Almost tender. That is the god Zeus.
Look at the bull's eye. Calm. Almost tender. That is the god Zeus.
De Troy painted her terror in the swirling pink fabric around her.
De Troy painted her terror in the swirling pink fabric around her.
It reappeared in 1994 at a London auction, catalogued simply as 'A De Troy'.
It reappeared in 1994 at a London auction, catalogued simply as 'A De Troy'.
De Troy renders the animal with sculptural volume , the beauty of Zeus's disguise is visceral, explaining how Europa was deceived
De Troy renders the animal with sculptural volume , the beauty of Zeus's disguise is visceral, explaining how Europa was deceived
Transcript

In 1716, a French painter took on an ancient myth of divine trickery. The young woman clings to the horns of a beautiful white bull. Look at the bull's eye. Calm. Almost tender. That is the god Zeus. De Troy painted her terror in the swirling pink fabric around her. The painting then disappeared for over 150 years. It reappeared in 1994 at a London auction, catalogued simply as 'A De Troy'. The bidding war pushed it to $1.1 million, demolishing the record for his work. A rediscovered masterpiece. Worth far more than the price of a myth.