Description
Fernando Botero – Rape of Europe
| Year of creation: | 1994 |
| Original size: | 40 cm x 47 cm |
| Painting style: | Expressionism |
| Original technique: | Oil on canvas |
| Located: | Author |
The Rape of Europe – Fernando Botero
The Rape of Europe is a 1994 painting by Fernando Botero: a black bull in an arena carries the full-figured nude Europa with long dark hair on its back. We paint our hand-painted study of The Rape of Europe to order on canvas, in oil or acrylic, in 8 sizes from 40 × 50 cm to 150 × 170 cm or in a custom size. Before The Rape of Europe is dispatched, we send you a photo of the finished painting.
What does The Rape of Europe show?
In The Rape of Europe a large black bull with pale horns stands in the middle of a sandy arena under a dark sky, and a full-figured nude woman with long dark hair lies on her back across it, holding one horn while her legs hang over the bull’s flank. Botero moved the Greek myth of Zeus, who turned into a bull and carried Europa away, into the bullring of his Colombia, which is why The Rape of Europe feels dramatic, sensual and unusual.
How is our hand-painted study of The Rape of Europe made?
Our painters paint the study of The Rape of Europe by hand, with brushstrokes of different thickness, separately for every order. We paint in oil or acrylic, depending on the subject and the size, so the surface of The Rape of Europe has a real paint texture that a print does not have. When The Rape of Europe is finished, we photograph it and send you the photo for approval.
Which size of The Rape of Europe suits your room?
For the wall above a sofa or a sideboard choose The Rape of Europe in 100 × 120 cm, and for a bedroom, hallway or work corner 40 × 50 cm. The Rape of Europe is available in 40 × 50 cm, 50 × 60 cm, 60 × 70 cm, 70 × 80 cm, 80 × 90 cm, 100 × 120 cm, 120 × 140 cm and 150 × 170 cm. A simple rule for The Rape of Europe: it should be about two thirds as wide as the furniture below it, with its centre about 150 cm from the floor.
How does The Rape of Europe arrive, and when?
We ship The Rape of Europe rolled in a sturdy tube, stretched on 2.5 cm deep wooden stretcher bars, or framed – you choose when you order. Stretching and framing of The Rape of Europe are done in our workshop in Slovenia. When a size of The Rape of Europe is in stock, it reaches you within 6 working days; a study of The Rape of Europe painted to order reaches you in 15 to 45 days.
Frequently asked questions about The Rape of Europe
Is The Rape of Europe a print?
No. Every brushstroke of The Rape of Europe is painted by hand on canvas, so the paint visibly stands up from the surface.
Can I order The Rape of Europe in a size that is not listed?
Yes. We also paint The Rape of Europe in a custom size; enter the width and height you want when you order The Rape of Europe.
What story does The Rape of Europe tell?
In the Greek myth Zeus turned into a bull and carried off the Phoenician princess Europa on his back; the title uses rape in its old sense of abduction, and our continent is named after her.
Is The Rape of Europe a good gift?
The Rape of Europe is a gift for a lover of Botero, mythology or bullfighting. If you are unsure which size of The Rape of Europe to choose, give a gift voucher.
