Leda en de zwaan 1693

Bernard Picart crafted this engraving, "Leda and the Swan," where we see the innocent Leda and Zeus, disguised as a swan, entwined in a scene of classical mythology. The swan, a symbol of purity, here becomes an emblem of divine desire, a motif that has fluttered through art history. Consider the image of Europa and the bull – another tale of divine transformation and desire. These aren’t isolated stories, but threads in a larger tapestry of human fascination with transformation and the power of the gods. The swan, in particular, carries echoes of primal forces, embodying a tension between beauty and brutality that stirs deep within our collective memory. The composition itself, with Leda’s yielding posture, speaks to a vulnerability that elicits a complex emotional response. This echoes through time, resurfacing in different forms, reflecting how our subconscious continues to grapple with themes of power, desire, and transformation.