A young woman in a flowing red garment sits side-saddle on the back of a white bull, her body twisting as she looks anxiously over her right shoulder. Her right hand grips one of the bull’s horns, while her left arm is bent behind her, suggesting movement and tension as she is carried away. The bull’s large, dark eyes gaze outward, its head turned slightly toward the viewer, and its body is rendered with energetic, visible brushstrokes that give a sense of motion.

Loose strands of the woman’s blonde hair are caught in the wind, and the sheer white scarf that trails from her shoulders swirls around her, echoing the sense of abduction. The background is a pale, almost abstract wash of color, with faint lines and swirls suggesting waves or clouds, focusing all attention on the figures at the center. The woman’s bare feet dangle just above the surface, and her pinkish skin contrasts with the creamy white of the bull and the deep red of her drapery.

The paint is applied in quick, expressive strokes, especially in the bull’s fur and the folds of the garment, revealing the textured surface of the panel beneath. The composition is tightly framed, with the figures filling almost the entire space, and the diagonal sweep of the woman’s body and garment adds drama to the scene. A faint blue mark appears in the lower right corner, standing out against the earthy tones of the panel. The Rape of Europe is painted by Peter Paul Rubens in 1636, and depicts the mythological story of Europa’s abduction by Zeus, who has taken the form of a bull.