Minneapolis Institute of Art

Leda and the Swan

Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse

Date

c. 1858

Medium

Terra-cotta

Department

European Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Based upon a chalk drawing by the Italian Renaissance artist Michelangelo (1475-1564), this terra cotta sculpture depicts Leda, the ancient Queen of Sparta, being seduced by the Greek god Zeus in the guise of a swan. Dating back to Greek mythology, Leda and the Swan offered artists an acceptable motif for erotic depiction. The French sculptor Albert Ernest Carrier-Belleuse chose this mythological subject to embody the sensuality of the reclining female form and evoke the artistic traditions of the great Renaissance masters. France, Europe

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