Paul Cézanne: Leda and the Swan (Léda au cygne), Paul Cézanne, c. 1880 (possibly later), Oil on canvas, This picture is unusual in Cézanne's oeuvre for its specific literary narrative. It represents the mythological story from Ovid's Metamorphoses in which Zeus disguises himself as a swan to seduce Leda, the daughter of King Thestius. This is certainly one of the artist's more overtly sensual paintings: Leda displays herself for the viewer, her hip curving dramatically, her cheeks flushed, while the swan's beak wraps around her wrist as if taking possession of her. Cézanne made two drawings in preparation for the painting, one of which shows the figure holding a champagne flute in her extended hand; the drawing derives directly from the label of a champagne bottle., Overall: 23 1/2 x 29 1/2 in. (59.7 x 74.9 cm)
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