JOHANNES MYTENS OR JAN MIJTENS (Holland, c.1614-1670)."The Rape of Europa. Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle, portrayed as the Goddess Europa.Oil on canvas. Re-tinted.Frame from the 19th century.Measurements: 132 x 185,5 cm.Jan Mytens is one of the most important Dutch painters of the time and he specialised in the portrait of personalities and aristocrats, both in his country and in England. In the present work he depicts Margaret Cavendish as the Goddess Europa following the mythological story of the Rape of Europa by Zeus transformed into a Bull. The theme depicted here is taken from Ovid's Metamorphoses (Book II): Europa was the beautiful daughter of the king of Tyre. Zeus fell in love with her beauty when she was walking on the beach, so he decided to metamorphose into a bull, the young girl's favourite animal. Europa began to caress the animal until she was on his back. At that moment Zeus threw himself into the sea. To prevent her from falling, the young woman held on to the horns and the animal flew away from the shore until it reached Crete.Mytens's treatment of the subject is so different from that of Rubens and Rembrandt, who differed from each other at the same time. Mytens focuses on the moment of complete confidence of the lady mounted on Zeus, before he sets off on the run. Rubens, on the other hand (following Titian), was interested in the convulsion of the female body, attached to the bull only by the horn. Rembrandt, on the other hand, depicted the actual abduction, the escape by sea. Mytens's composition is peaceful, despite the dense, silver-golden sky that heralds the abduction. This allows him to give priority to the description of the velvety smooth clothes, the jewels reflecting the cold light that bathes the atmosphere, the Ivorian flesh tones... The skilful work of glazes on the scarf fluttering in the wind stands out. The animal gaze is full of radiance, in contrast to his woolly body. Eros, foreshortened, approaches with his arrow, and three cherubs lead Zeus.The volumetric work of the bodies, modelled by light and colour, and the sensual plasticity of qualities and atmospheres are outstanding. He is an important exponent of the Dutch Baroque, which in turn is impregnated with Flemish plastic art.Johannes Mytens was a painter of the Dutch Golden Age. He was born in The Hague. According to Houbraken, he was a pupil of Anthony van Opstal and later of Nicolas van der Horst. His two uncles Isaac Mijtens and Daniël Mijtens were painters, and his son Cornelis became an engraver. Mytens became a member of the Guild of Saint Luke in The Hague in 1642 and helped establish the Painting Guild. He painted for Dutch royalty and specialised in portraits, genre paintings and historical allegories. His pupils were Nicolaes Lissant, Gerard de Nijst, Adriaen Stalpert van der Wiele, Pouels van de Velde, Andries Thijsz. de Wit, and Urbanus Talibert van Yperen. Died in The Hague.Margaret Cavendish (1623-1673), Duchess of Newcastle, was an English aristocrat, philosopher, poet, scientist, playwright and fiction writer active in the 17th century. She published under her own name at a time when most women published anonymously. Her writings cover a wide range of issues including gender, power, education, scientific method and philosophy. She was the first woman to be inducted into the Royal Society of London in 1667. She was associated with the most important scholars of her time such as Thomas Hobbes, René Descartes and Robert Boyle among many others. She was considered an eccentric for her peculiar way of behaving and dressing outside of convention. She is also considered a pioneering advocate for animals, opposing their use in laboratory tests.