Belonging to Vouet's mature period, once he had established himself in France as painter to Louis XIII, it is based on an episode of The Metamorphosis of Ovid: the god Zeus, captivated by Europa, who was playing on the seashore with some other girls, changed himself into a white bull with golden horns to seduce her. Europa, trusting the beauty and the docility of the animal, got up on its back, and the god took advantage of this moment to abduct her. It is a mognificent example of the Classicist lesson learnt by Vouet in Italy: perfect draughtsmanship, the harmonious composition and a modulated light that recreates the forms.
