The Rape of Europe

The Rape of Europe is a painting created in 1868 by Gustave Moreau. It is housed in the Musée Gustave-Moreau. The painting measures 1.3 meters in width and 1.75 meters in height. The artwork depicts a scene of mythological rape, showing a nude woman, Europe, being carried away by a bull, which is actually Zeus in disguise. The woman appears to be struggling slightly, but the overall tone is more suggestive of inevitability than violent struggle. The style is characteristic of Moreau's Symbolist approach, with rich colors and a focus on evocative imagery rather than strict realism.