Jupiter and Europa, from 'Game of Mythology' (Jeu de la Mythologie)
Medium
Etching; first state of five
Dimensions
Sheet: 1 7/8 × 2 3/16 in. (4.7 × 5.5 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Robert Hartshorne, 1918
Accession Number
18.48.2-20
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold *Jupiter and Europa*, a delicate etching from the rare *Game of Mythology* (*Jeu de la Myth*), created in 1644 by the masterful Italian printmaker Stefano della Bella. tiny gem—measuring just 1 7/8 × 2 3/16 inches—captures the classical myth of Jupiter, king of the gods, transforming a bull to carry off the beautiful Europa across the sea. Part of a collaborative project involving poet Jean Desmarets de Saint-Sorlin for the verses, publisher Henri Le Gras, and the patronage of Cardinal Jules Mazarin and the young Louis XIV, it reflects the opulent cultural tastes of mid-17th-century Fra...
About the Artist
Stefano della Bella|Jean Desmarets de Saint-Sorlin|Henri Le Gras|Louis XIV, King of France|Cardinal Jules Mazarin · 1610–1664
Stefano della Bella (1610-1664) was one of the most prolific and versatile printmakers of the Italian Baroque period, leaving behind 1,052 prints and several thousand drawings that captured the vivid essence of 17th-century European life. Born in Florence on May 18, 1610, to a family of artists, he trained initially as a goldsmith before studying painting under Cesare Dandini and etching under Rem...