Enlevement d'Europe (Abduction of Europa) 1720 - 1760

Pierre Alexandre Aveline created this engraving, "The Abduction of Europa," in France, sometime in the mid-18th century. Its images and ideas connect to the social and cultural life of its time. Aveline visualizes a story from classical mythology. Europa, surrounded by attendants, is about to be carried off by Zeus, disguised as a bull. The image creates meaning through visual codes. It is designed to evoke an aesthetic of classical antiquity, a stylistic mode that was fashionable among wealthy elites in this period. This was a time in which aristocratic patrons were the main consumers of art. An artist like Aveline had to be aware of the tastes of this group, and of the institutions, like the French Royal Academy, that codified those tastes into an official aesthetic. The historian can help us understand this image better, using research resources like period journals and Academy records. Art's meaning depends heavily on its social and institutional context.