naïf

Valentin Serov The Rape of Europe (1910) State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow There is something odd about her. It is not that she is being abducted. By “odd” I mean that there is a contrast, not that something bad is necessarily happening. Her appearance in Valentin Serov’s painting is tilted towards its “captor”; she is smiling. At first glance, it may feel as if this painting is trying to normalize the abduction. Moreover, Zeus, represented as the bull, takes her without opposition, as she seems to accept her destiny. But every time I look at it, there is something odd. Because of her body language, the way she smiles, the way she holds herself, as if she feels safe. I am going to say this as soon as possible to avoid misunderstandings. The bull is a woman. This representation does not depict the traditional myth of Zeus abducting Europa. It holds more meaning than that. To explain myself, and the oddness I am presenting, she is not being controlled; she is controlling. There is no fight...