In my thesis, I discusses the deconstruction of the mythical narratives of the abduction of Europa and the Sabine Women in the Western art canon from the Renaissance to the 20th century. The central problem of the work is the gap between visual aestheticization and the actual nature of the depicted acts, which are often softened in literature using the euphemism 'abduction'. In the paper, I analyze how the Latin term raptus and the concept of the so-called male gaze served as means for the neutralization and normalization of sexual violence. Through the analysis of works by Titian, Rembrandt, Boucher, Beckmann, Giambologna, Poussin, David, and Picasso, the paper reveals the functioning of the aesthetic shield, where the beauty of form conceals the brutality of the content. The conclusion emphasizes the necessity of a critical re-evaluation of these works and a shift from the question of beauty to the question of truth regarding the depicted violence.
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