Europa and the Bull

ca. 1926

Carl Milles Swedish, 1875-1955

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About the Artwork

This sculpture is a small-scale replica of the central figures of Milles's Europa and the Bull fountain in Halmstad, Sweden; erected in 1926, it was the first great fountain Milles designed. Stylistically, the Detroit bronze belongs to Milles's mature period, when he was no longer under the influence of French sculptor Auguste Rodin. The figures are characterized by smooth, simplified, and clearly defined forms. The monumental quality achieved by this approach is countered by the bull's upward thrusting pose and Europa's fluttering drapery, which energizes the grouping. Milles invites us to escape into the world of art and poetry with a modern reworking of the story from Greek mythology of Europa's adventurous ride. A rearranged version of the Europa and the Bull fountain also exists at the Cranbrook Academy of Art, in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.

Title Europa and the Bull

Artwork Date ca. 1926

Artist Carl Milles

Life Dates 1875-1955

Nationality Please note: Definitions for nationality may vary significantly, depending on chronology and world events. Some definitions include: Belonging to a people having a common origin based on a geography and/or descent and/or tradition and/or culture and/or religion and/or language, or sharing membership in a legally defined nation. Swedish

Culture Please note: Cultures may be defined by the language, customs, religious beliefs, social norms, and material traits of a group. Unknown

Medium Bronze

Dimensions Overall: 31 1/2 inches (80 cm)

Classification Sculpture

Department European Modern Art to 1970

Credit City of Detroit Purchase

Accession Number This unique number is assigned to an individual artwork as part of the cataloguing process at the time of entry into the permanent collection. Most frequently, accession numbers begin with the year in which the artwork entered the museum’s holdings. For example, 2008.3 refers to the year of acquisition and notes that it was the 3rd of that year. The DIA has a few additional systems—no longer assigned—that identify specific donors or museum patronage groups. 29.357.A

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Provenance

(C.E Fritze Kungl)

1929-present, purchase by the Detroit Institute of Arts (Detoit, Michigan, USA)

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Exhibition History

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