Why it matters
Jupiter, in the form of an eagle, seizes the young shepherd Ganymede and lifts him into the air. The scene gave Rubens the chance to paint a lively scene around a beautiful male nude.
Did you know?
- It was painted in 1636–1638 for Philip IV's hunting lodge.
- It is based on Ovid's Metamorphoses.
- Rubens had painted Ganymede's arrival on Olympus around 1611–1612.
Based on the Wikipedia article The Rape of Ganymede (Rubens) (CC BY-SA 4.0).
