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Leda and the Swan
  • TitleLeda and the Swan
  • Technique/ MaterialOil on canvas
  • DimensionsDimensions: (h x b) 59,5 x 74 cm
    Frame: (h x b x dj) 86 x 100 x 11 cm
  • Artist/Maker Artist: François Boucher, French, born 1703, dead 1770
  • CategoryPaintings, Paintings
  • Inventory No.NM 771
  • AcquisitionTransferred 1865 Kongl. Museum
  • Collection Carl Gustaf Tessins samling
  • Description
    Literature
    Artist/Maker
    Images and media

    Maybe more than any other artist, Boucher exemplifies the style later called Rococo. It is characterized, among other things, by bright colours and graceful shapes. The subjects were still taken from mythology, but turned into sensual scenes in idyllic settings. This piece shows how Zeus, transformed into a swan, seduces Princess Leda. The woman next to her has been interpreted as a companion, a twin, or perhaps a reflection of herself.