According to the ancient myth, Zeus, king of the Olympians, takes the form of the swan in order to to approach Leda and impregnate her with his divine seed. From their bond was born the most beautiful woman in all mythology. Helen, daughter of Leda, whose beauty would bring dishonour to the Greeks, the destruction of a city and tragedy to Troy.
In a series of drawings with graphite, the UK born Greek artist George Levantis tries to capture the seduction of Leda by Zeus but most importantly the essence of transformation. From a God to a swan. From the divine to a mortal creature whose erotic desire is portrayed by violently fast strokes on the paper.
Torn feathers, rushed figures, broken wings and ripped innards combined with the vivid black strokes on the paper successfully portray the lust and erotic fury of Zeus.
Levantis was very much influenced by Yeat’s sonnet “Leda and the Swan” in which the erotic scene is described as a brutal act of lust.