Rape of Europa

Boucher's early Rape of Europa from 1733 shows the young painter already commanding the mythological repertoire that would define his career. The subject — Jupiter disguised as a bull abducting the Phoenician princess — was a staple of Baroque and Rococo painting, but Boucher transforms it from a dramatic narrative into a sensuous pastoral fantasy. At this date Boucher had recently returned from his formative stay in Rome, where he studied both antiquities and the Baroque masters.

Warmer, more saturated color than Boucher's later pastel palette reflects his recent Italian experience. The muscular bull and the dynamically posed Europa show the influence of Bolognese painting that Boucher absorbed in Rome before developing his lighter, more decorative mature style.