Leda en de zwaan 1771 - 1776

Valentine Green created this mezzotint called "Leda and the Swan," an image of erotic myth, some time in the late 18th century. The image is a copy of a painting of the French Rococo, a style patronized by the aristocracy. It shows a moment when Jupiter, disguised as a swan, seduces Leda. The original painting was likely made for the private consumption of an aristocratic man. Reproducing the image as a print made it accessible to a wider audience. This speaks to the changing social status of art at the time. As the middle class grew, it created a market for art that could be displayed in the home. Understanding this image requires research into the history of both aristocratic and middle-class culture in Europe, especially England, in the late 1700s.