Jupiter and Antiope

René Boyvin’s Jupiter and Antiope is one of his anatomically ambitious reproductive prints based on the work of Luca Penni. It illustrates a story from Greek mythology. Boyvin depicted Antiope resting in a classical pose, with her arm overhead, as Jupiter, in the form of a satyr, stands over her, gesturing to the putto at Antiope’s side not to wake her. The figures are characterized by their accentuated muscles and distorted anatomy, a style typical to the School of Fontainebleau, whose artists were known for their attenuation of the body to create graceful, expressive forms.