Fernando Botero's bronze sculpture, The Kidnapping of Europa, stands between the parking and Terminal T1 of arrivals at Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport. The sculpture is a representation of the moment Europa climbs onto a bull before running towards the sea to swim to Crete. Botero uses his signature style of voluptuous figures to depict a relaxed and confident Europa and a bold Zeus. The sculpture was part of the 'Botero in Madrid' exhibition in 1994. Five of Botero’s sculptures, including The Kidnapping of Europa, remained in Spain after the exhibition. Two versions of The Kidnapping of Europa exist in Chicago and Medellín. In 2007, a smaller version of The Kidnapping of Europa was auctioned for $361,000. Created in 2002, the smaller version measures 61 x 45.7 x 28.5 cm.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nik Frost
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