Jupiter and Io (c. 1530) – Correggio
It would appear that the dynamics of the two married protagonists of Greek and Roman mythology Zeus (Jupiter) and Hera (Juno) is one of a jealous wife chasing a promiscuous husband.
In order to conceal his escapades, Zeus constantly makes use of his shapeshifting abilities. Thus, he transforms himself into a cloud (he hid himself within a cloud with Io), a golden shower with Danae, a swan with Leda, a bull with Europa, depending on whether he needed to be charming and beautiful or powerful and frightening in his conquest.
See also: divine jealousy
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We had a variation of this Jupiter and Io in our family home until the 1970s. It was painted on copper and the format was less tall. As a child I wondered about the foot extending out from the top of the left thigh – it made no sense in terms of proportion, nor does the image of it in the illustration you posted – it still reads odd. Our Jupiter and Io hung above the dining room table, not exactly a prime spot for a piece of erotica. 😉 G
Thank you, Rafaela!
Suburban,
It’s a fine piece of erotica, I tried describing it over at my Wiki, but feel I’ve only half succeeded. I find it a real challenge to put paintings into words.
Jan