Jupiter en Europa. NL-HlmNHA 1477 53010785

Jupiter and Europa are depicted in an intimate embrace on a rocky coastline, with Europa's discarded robes lying in the foreground. To their right, an eagle clutches a bundle of lightning bolts, signaling Jupiter's divine identity. In the far background, a smaller scene shows the preceding moment of the myth: Europa riding Jupiter in the form of a bull through the waves.

This engraving is part of a series illustrating Ovid's Metamorphoses, a foundational text for Renaissance thinkers who viewed classical myths as allegories for natural philosophy and the soul's relationship with the divine. The work reflects the Haarlem Mannerists' interest in using complex human anatomy and mythological transformation to express higher philosophical concepts.