Leda and the Swan

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The ancient Greek myth “Leda and the Swan” is one of the most prevailing subjects in art history. According to the myth, Zeus took the form of a swan and raped Leda, Queen of Sparta and wife of King Tyndareus. “Leda and the Swan” was a prevalent motif in Renaissance and High-Renaissance art, which inspired many old masters such as Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo and Raphael.

 

Contemporary artists such as Jerzy Hulewicz and Cy Twombly have revisited this subject looking through the lens of female sexuality. Andreas Efstathiou is amongst the contemporary artists who reimagined this myth, and created a series stemming from the exhibition “Sexuality in Cypriot Art”, in which he participated, at the Cultural Centre Apothikes 79 in Larnaca in 2016. Efstathiou continued to develop this theme throughout the years.