Abduction of Europa, charcoal, 2009.

This is the second version mentioned below of Europa and the Bull. Here is a more dramatic version; Europa is taken against her will. She looks back to land where her companions are and half waves her free arm for help. A distant boat sails away, too far in the distance to see her plight.

The subject has an erotic charge, the horns of the bull representing both a mortal danger to her and symbolic of the threat to her chastity. Whether this version or the previous is more suggestive is perhaps a matter of opinion. Either way, Europa is on the crest both of the waters Zeus is stealing her across and of a different destiny than the one she knew a moment ago.

Europa and the Bull, charcoal, 2009.

I have moved on to charcoal on approx 20×25 inches ingres drawing paper for the Europa series. I like the laid texture of this paper, and I use either Canson or Fabriano. I always use vine charcoal.

I am trying both a passive Europa here, and another version with a more dramatic, terrified Europa. This shows a rather gentle bull with her hand almost caressing the bull’s head. Of course the bull is actually Zeus, so his less ferocious appearance can be explained by this fact.