Pasiphaë med den lille Minotauros 1743 - 1809

"Pasiphaë med den lille Minotauros" is a drawing by Danish artist Nicolai Abildgaard, created sometime between 1743 and 1809. The work, housed at the SMK - Statens Museum for Kunst, depicts Pasiphaë, the wife of King Minos, holding the Minotaur, a creature with the head of a bull and the body of a man. This drawing likely served as a preliminary study for a larger composition. The delicate lines and shading create a sense of both grace and unease, reflecting the mythological story's complex themes of love, betrayal, and monstrous transformation.