Rape of Europa

Simone Cantarini

Cleveland Museum of Art

The image depicts a black and white drawing of a scene from Greek mythology titled "Rape of Europa" by Simone Cantarini. A woman sits on a bull, surrounded by putti. The woman wears a draped garment and appears to be looking to her right. The bull has a garland around its head and faces forward. The woman's right arm rests on the bull's side, her left arm extends down. Multiple putti surround the pair; some flying through the air, some sitting on the ground. The background features a landscape with hills, a body of water, and a cloudy sky. A group of people in the distance appears to be reacting to the scene. The entire scene is rendered in detailed cross-hatching.