Leda and the Swan, 18th century French painter

French painter, 18th-19th century

Leda and the Swan
(Literary source: Ovid's Metamorphoses, book VI)

Oil painting on canvas

95 cm x 126 cm.
framed 109 x 142 cm.

The fascinating painting we offer you, originally intended to decorate the rooms of a private residence, depicts the beautiful Leda, queen of Sparta and wife of King Tyndareus, victim of Zeus' deception.

According to the myth, in fact, the King of the Gods, having fallen madly in love, decided to conquer her, but to get closer without arousing suspicion, he took the form of a magnificent swan, taking advantage of her vulnerability while she was resting on the banks of the river Eurotas.

The queen, struck by the beauty of the swan, welcomed him into her arms, thus ending up being seduced by Zeus, who joined with her: from the meeting, desired by both parties, an egg was born, from which the children Helen and Pollux were born.

In Greek mythology, Leda and the Swan is certainly one of the most fascinating stories, inspiring many artists since the Renaissance, with depictions full of eros, where the fusion between human and divine manifested itself in sensual and ambiguous forms.

Furthermore, in the past, this subject was attributed a great symbolic value, often identified as an allegory of carnal love, and more specifically the success of this iconography was linked to the metaphorical image of the coupling between man and woman, covered by the allegory of the myth.

Finally, as regards the attributive analysis, it is a splendid work that can be linked to an author of romantic influence, presumably French, active between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, who was able to treat this mythological theme with an image of a sensual nude.

In the 18th century, with neoclassicism, thanks to authors such as Jacques-Louis David, we see the growth of interest in the artistic nude, a celebration of ideal beauty, and the representation of the female body gives paintings like this an intense and sensual atmosphere. We then move on to the 19th century, in which nude poses, and perhaps combined as in our case with pleasant mythological subjects, achieve particularly appreciated results.

In France in particular, women painted through the realism of their bodies translate their sensual physicality, like the models of Courbet and Ingres, modelling them according to the canons of beauty of classical nudes.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

The painting is sold complete with a beautiful 19th century gilded frame and is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity and a descriptive iconographic card.

We take care of and organize the transport of the purchased works, both for Italy and abroad, through professional and insured carriers.

If you have the desire to see this or other works in person, we will be happy to welcome you to our new gallery in Riva del Garda, in Viale Giuseppe Canella 18. We are waiting for you!

Contact us for any information or to organize a visit, we will be happy to answer you.

Follow us also on:

https://www.instagram.com/galleriacastelbarco/?hl=it
https://www.facebook.com/galleriacastelbarco/