Violet, Baroness von Gagern as Europa
14 of 40 portraits matching these criteria:
- subject matching 'Vivex'
© National Portrait Gallery, London
Violet, Baroness von Gagern as Europa
by Yevonde
Vivex colour print, 1935
14 5/8 in. x 9 7/8 in. (370 mm x 251 mm)
Given by Yevonde, 1971
Photographs Collection
NPG x17957
On display at The Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Artistback to top
- Yevonde (Madame Yevonde) (Yevonde Middleton (née Cumbers)) (1893-1975), Photographer. Artist or producer associated with 915 portraits, Sitter in 15 portraits.
This portraitback to top
Europa, the daughter of Agenor, the King of Tyre was a great beauty. Zeus fell in love with her and disguised himself as a good-natured, handsome bull amongst a herd of cattle that were grazing near to where Europa was playing. Attracted by the handsome creature Europa garlanded his horns with flowers and climbed onto his back. Zeus carried Europa off to the island of Crete where she bore him three sons and later married Asterius, King of Crete. Yevonde describes at length in her 1940 autobiography In Camera the problems in locating a stuffed bull`s head for this particular tableau.
Linked publicationsback to top
- Clare Freestone, Yevonde: Life and Colour, 2023 (accompanying the exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery from 22 June to 15 October 2023), p. 121
- Gibson, Robert; Roberts, Pam, Madame Yevonde: Colour, Fantasy & Myth, 1990 (accompanying the exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery from 20 July - 1 October 1990), p. 78
Subjects & Themesback to top
Events of 1935back to top
Current affairs
Stanley Baldwin starts his third term as Prime Minister after Ramsay Macdonald resigns due to ill health. Coincidentally, Baldwin's first term in office also came about when the Prime Minister of the time, Bonar Law, stepped down due to illness in 1923.Art and science
Robert Watson-Watt demonstrates Radar, showing how an aircraft can be tracked by detecting radio waves reflected off it. During the war, Watson-Watt established a network of machines and operators that helped detect the approach of enemy aircraft in the Battle of Britain.Penguin publishes its first paperback books, making reading more portable and affordable to a wider audience.
International
Italy invades Abyssinia. The invasion of the country now known as Ethiopia was part of Mussolini's plan to create an Italian Empire. It was also an attempt to avenge Abyssinia's victory over the Italian army at Adowa in 1896.Germany introduces conscription, breaking the disarmament clause of the Treaty of Versailles.
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See this portrait
On display at The Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle-upon-Tyne