Kustgezicht met de ontvoering van Europa Possibly 1775 - 1779

Richard Earlom created this print, “Coastal View with the Abduction of Europa,” in 1778. It depicts a classical myth in a very specific cultural and institutional context. The story of Europa being carried off by Zeus in the form of a bull has roots in ancient Greece, but Earlom was working in England at a time when the Royal Academy was codifying artistic standards. We see this in the way the composition is structured, creating a hierarchy with the mythological scene in the foreground and more mundane details like grazing cattle and ships at sea in the background. England, as an island nation, had strong ties to the sea, and Earlom reflects that relationship here. He shows a practical and economic reality alongside a scene drawn from mythology. Understanding this image requires us to investigate the institutions that shaped artistic taste, like the Royal Academy, and also the economic and political realities of 18th-century Britain. We can learn more through studying the printselling trade and the Royal Academy's exhibition records.