The foreign Leda

Mediums: oil, canvas.
Location: private collection.

Labisse possessed considerable knowledge of classical Greek culture and mythology. Ancient heroine Leda is depicted as a modern young girl. The myth that Zeus, fascinated by her beauty, appeared to her in the form of a swan, is conveyed by one detail – one of the character’s hands is turned into the head of a bird. In mythology, there are several interpretations of her fate. Perhaps, that is why the author painted exactly “Unknown Leda” – her face is hidden from the viewer by a multi-layer cover. According to one of the versions, the mother of beautiful Elena killed herself after her daughter was abducted. The background of the painting can be interpreted in two ways – either it is the sunset sky, or the bottom of the sea.