WATTEAU, Jean-Antoine (b. 1684, Valenciennes, d. 1721, Nogent-sur-Marne) |
Jupiter and Antiope1715-16Oil on canvas, 73 x 107 cm (oval) Musée du Louvre, Paris | ||
This painting, also known as Nymph and Satyr, is one of the most sensual works by Watteau. The subject is taken from Greek mythology (Ovid, Metamorphoses). Antiope was a nymph or, according to some, the wife of a king of Thebes. She was surprised by Jupiter in the form of a Satyr while she was asleep, and was ravished by him. The theme was used at different art periods as a medium for portrayal of the female nude.
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