The Rape of Europa

The present painting is based, in reverse, on an original composition by Paolo Veronese in the Palazzo Ducale, Venice (fig. 1), which is known in a number of versions (see T. Pignatti and F. Pedrocco, Veronese, Milan, 1995, pp. 356-359, nos. 243-245). Some of these versions, such as that in the National Gallery, London, are also in reverse, which suggests that they are based on engravings after Veronese's original and are thus best attributed to the master's studio. It is likely that the present work is based on an engraving or on one of these painted versions. It is interesting to note that in Beschey's composition Europa looks directly out at the viewer, a pose that is not found in the known versions attributed to Veronese.