Leda and the Swan

The old myth of love between Zeus, turned into a swan, and Leda, queen of Sparta and bride of Tyndareus (Apollodorus, Bibliotheca, book III; Ovid, Heroides, book III) it’s among the most represented scenes amongst the artists of all times.
Unlike the ancient prototypes ,the Crocetti’s version is more physical. Leda doesn’t have the ethereal characteristics of the ancient queen and the bird doesn’t wrap itself around her body but it cuddles up more like a pet. The affection in the head’s inclination towards the animal’s neck recalls, in fact, a scene of ordinary tenderness between an owner and her pet.