Jupiter and Callisto
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Jupiter and Callisto or Diana and Callisto is the title of several paintings in Western art history.
- Jupiter and Callisto (Boucher, 1744)
- Jupiter and Callisto (Hans von Aachen)
- Diana and Callisto by Titian
- Amigoni Jacopo
Background
According to Ovid, it was Jupiter (the Roman Zeus) who took the form of the female goddess Artemis/Diana so that he might evade his wife Juno’s detection, forcing himself upon Callisto while she was separated from Diana and the other nymphs. Her pregnant condition was discovered some months later while bathing with Diana and her fellow nymphs. Upon this, Diana was enraged and expelled Callisto from the group, and subsequently she gave birth to Arcas. Juno then took the opportunity to avenge her wounded pride and transformed the nymph into a bear. Sixteen years later Callisto, still a bear, encountered her son Arcas hunting in the forest. It is the only openly lesbian Greek myth. The theme has been popular in lesbian erotica since the 18th century.
See also
