Art, Painting

The Rape of the Daughters of Leucippus

Today I will tell you about the kidnapping of Leucippus’ daughters, which is a subject from Greek mythology and illustrated by Rubens. Originally named Raub Der Töchter Des Leukippos, the oil painting on canvas is dated to 1618. Nowadays, the daughters of Leucippus, King of Argos, are kidnapped by Phoibe and Hilaira Dioskuroi for the subject of our painting. Diskuroi means ‘the boys of Zeus’ and this name refers to the brothers Kastor and Pollux. They followed both Uncle sons and fiancée Lynkeus and Idas Dioskuroi, who were killed and immortal Pollux was injured in the fight between them. In order not to separate the brothers who do not separate from each other, Zeus takes both of them to the sky as stars. Both stars are in the Gemini constellation. In this painting, which is one of the masterpieces of Rubens and the Baroque era, it reflects the characteristics of its era. The horses are portrayed as if they were a frozen state of the moment as a whole. In a complex order, all of the figures are in action, and the bodies are formed by two separate diagonal lines, and the skin of women and men is colored to contrast. Kator, a good rider, holds his horse on the leg of Hilaria; Shown while catching the falling body of Pollux Phoibe, a good fighter. Two Eros, holding the reins of the horses of Dioskuroi, tell us that the picture is about love. The horizon line used as background in the background is used as a view below. With this painting, Rubens successfully combined the Classic and Baroque style.

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