Kalvis Zalitis’ (1976) "Abduction of Europa" transforms a mythological theme into a powerful allegorical vision, rendered with theatrical intensity and sculptural precision. At the centre of the composition stands a monumental torso clad in a richly ornamented Roman cuirass, its reliefs depicting scenes of struggle and triumph. Emerging from this bronze-like armour, fragmented human figures appear — sensual, vulnerable, and caught in the grip of mythic force. A luminous, golden background heightens the drama, contrasting the flesh’s fragility with the timeless permanence of the armour.

Zalitis’ mastery of chiaroscuro — the dramatic interplay of light and shadow — gives the bodies a sculptural presence, their gestures charged with tension and emotion. The painting blurs the boundaries between the material and the symbolic: armour as authority and power, bodies as vulnerability and desire, myth as a stage for human fragility.

Drawing inspiration from European myth and Renaissance-Baroque tradition, Zalitis infuses his work with a contemporary sensibility. "Abduction of Europa" does not simply illustrate the ancient story but reimagines it as a timeless allegory of power, possession, and the human condition, where light emerges from darkness and myth lives on in sensual form.