Leda And The Swan Painting Analysis

This Greek myth has inspired art since the classical period. The relationship between Leda and Zeus is shown in different ways, such as violent or seductive. Most of the art focuses on the seductive aspect of the story. Most of the pieces of art show certain themes that portray different aspects of the myth of Leda and the swan. The setting of the story, the facial expressions on those who are in the painting, and what are the clothing articles that shown in the painting and their color. These things are what make the story come together in the viewer's mind, they are small things and objects, but they make the whole story make sense. I will be focusing on these aspects when discussing the paintings.

The first piece of art that I will be discussing

This specific painting focuses on the children of the Zeus and Leda human husband’s kids. Unlike the other paintings, this painting doesn’t focus on the seductive relationship between the swan and Leda. Rather it focuses on the offspring of that relationship. The outdoor environment of this painting is dark and toxic, whereas the inside is more joyful and calm. The detail of the muscles of Leda shows the strength of a mother and what it takes to become a mother. This painting does not focus on the persuasion of Zeus, but rather it focuses on the children of a god and how they came to be in the world, from those eggs. The eggs that are laying around are the only object that reveals that the painting is the about Leda and the Swan. The white flowers that are behind Leda can symbolize two different things, one being purity and creation of those children. And the other being the how a delicate thing like the flower can prosper and grow in the dark polluted world that is outside. Adam Miller took this myth and adapted it as a stereotype of a woman’s place in the world. He suggests that women should be pure white flowers that only look after their children and never look out beyond her house. Leda is only looking at her feeding child, not looking out and wondering what is happening outside and how she can change the world in some way. Why did Adam Miller only show three out of the four children? I would believe since some versions of the myth say that Helen was born in a different egg than her siblings. Which suggests that Adam Miller is revealing to the viewers that he believes that this version is what he believes to be the truest