Europa sprawls across the back of a white bull, her body twisted and her arms flung upward as she clutches a red scarf that billows behind her in the wind. The bull, with a garland of flowers around its head, plunges into dark, choppy water, its head turned slightly toward the viewer and its expression calm but intent. Europa’s pale garment slips from her body, exposing her legs and emphasizing her vulnerability as she lies sideways, her feet together on the bull’s right flank.

To the left, on the distant shore, a group of small figures gestures in alarm, their arms raised as they watch Europa’s abduction from afar. Above the main scene, two winged putti fly through a sky streaked with blue and grey, one holding a bow and the other reaching for arrows, their bodies angled toward Europa and the bull. Near the lower edge of the painting, another putto rides a fish across the waves, glancing upward while gripping the creature’s head.

The landscape stretches into the distance with rocky outcrops and a receding coastline, rendered in loose, atmospheric brushwork that blurs the boundary between land and water. Light falls from the left, illuminating Europa’s skin and the bull’s flank, while casting the water and distant figures into shadow. The painting’s palette is dominated by cool blues and greys, punctuated by the warm red of Europa’s scarf and the yellow drapery beneath her.

Titian’s brushwork is energetic and visible, especially in the swirling water and clouds, where thick strokes and blended tones create a sense of movement and drama. The composition sweeps diagonally from the lower left, where the putto and fish emerge, up to the right where Europa and the bull surge forward, and then to the upper left where the flying putti echo the direction of the abduction. Small details, such as the delicate garland on the bull and the fluttering scarf, heighten the sense of urgency and motion throughout the scene.