seated female nude, with legs tucked up, reaching PR arm up to stroke the neck of a large swan to her L; portion of a tree in background, and castle ULQ background

Leda and the Swan, 1548

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Disguised as a swan (made large, to indicate divinity), the Greek god Zeus sets his lecherous sights on Leda, wife of Sparta’s King Tyndareus. Hidden by the swan’s wings, she welcomes the seduction, caressing the bird’s suggestive neck and, in a very human detail, raising her heels in excitement. Her compressed form, monumental even in this tiny space, is ready to unfold. The union produced the mythical Castor, Pollux, Helen of Troy, and Clytemnestra.

Details
Title
Leda and the Swan
Artist Life
1500–1550
Role
Artist
Accession Number
2015.93.37
Provenance
John E. Andrus III, Wayzata, Minn.; by descent to his daughters, Elizabeth, Katie, and Julie; gave to MIA, 2015. Earlier provenances have been gathered, but further research will increase our knowledge of their histories.
Catalogue Raisonne
Bartsch 112 (vol. 8, p. 161); Pauli, Hollstein 114 ii/iii
Curator Approved

This record is from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator, so may be inaccurate or incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.

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seated female nude, with legs tucked up, reaching PR arm up to stroke the neck of a large swan to her L; portion of a tree in background, and castle ULQ background