Astronomical Art – The Many Moons of Jupiter
While I was skimming rather quickly through art images the other day, I paused when I came across this 1532 painting by Correggio. I glimpsed an unusual scenario taking place but had to stop and make sure I really saw what I thought I saw. Is that a woman having sex with a cloud?? Well on closer inspection, I found that my initial impression was indeed true. She IS having sex with a cloud! And she seems to be really, really enjoying it 
The painting is titled Jupiter and Io, and it depicts one of the many narratives of Greek and Roman mythology. Jupiter was the king of the gods, the big kahuna of deities, master of sky and thunder, the invincible badass who ruled everything and got whatever he wanted. Jupiter’s Greek counterpart was Zeus, which might be more familiar to some.
When Jupiter first spotted Io, a beautiful river goddess, it was lust at first sight. Nothing, not even Jupiter’s jealous wife Juno, would keep him from having Io, the object of his sexual desire. The clever god used all his omnipotent powers to make it happen. As Io rested along the riverbank, Jupiter morphed into a thick, dark, billowing cloud. In this camouflaged form, Jupiter enveloped Io, kissed her, and made love to her. Mission accomplished. Piece of cake when you’re the “king of gods”.
In 1610, Io was given immortality when the great astronomer Galileo discovered the four moons of the planet Jupiter. Although they are commonly known as the Galilean moons, they are individually named after the lovers and companions of the mythological Jupiter: Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto.
Clearly not as erotic as the Correggio piece, this NASA spacecraft image of the cosmic Jupiter and Io is equally, if not more, visually stunning. Io may be a mere satellite to her master planet Jupiter, but she is volatile and temperamental. With 400 active volcanoes, Io’s surface is distinguished by her lava flows, sulfur plumes, and mountain peaks that reach altitudes higher than Mount Everest.
Image Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute/Goddard Space Flight Center
Correggio wasn’t the only painter who exalted Jupiter and his many conquests. Peter Paul Rubens also tackled the myth, but selected Ganymede as his subject instead of Io. The Ganymede of mythology was a Trojan prince and a mortal. Handsome and youthful, Ganymede, like Io, was spotted by Jupiter, who once again found himself completely infatuated. Like the covetous god that he was, Jupiter decided to possess the young Ganymede. Again he used his trusty mutation strategy, only this time instead of a cloud, he transformed into an eagle. He swooped down and captured young Ganymede, carried him up to the heavens, and made him cupbearer of the gods.
This is Rubens’ portrayal of The Abduction of Ganymede:
The Ganymede of astronomy is an attractive figure in a different way. It is the largest moon in the solar system -larger in diameter than the planet Mercury – and the only satellite known to have a magnetic field. This is Ganymede alongside Jupiter:
The Jupiter of the galaxy is not a terrestrial planet, but a giant orb of gas. A floating sphere of hydrogen and helium. It is also 2 1/2 times the mass of all the other planets of the solar system combined. It’s a big bastard. A standout. Vaporous. Charismatic. Turbulent. Surrounded by loyal minions. Much like it’s mythological namesake, don’t you think?
Jupiter and Thetis, by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, 1811:
The gods really do live in the skies.
dougrogers said,
November 20, 2009 at 9:56 pm
Not that I could do any better, but that cloud feels too substantial to me… It kind of turns into a wooly bear paw. I imagine it might be more insubstantial, less opaque, cloud-like. maybe it’s the reproduction?
You’re gonna be a book someday.
artmodel said,
November 21, 2009 at 12:56 pm
doug,
From a woman’s point of view, when it comes to a male sex partner, “substantial” is always preferred over “insubstantial”. Woooo hooooo!!!
Just kidding, baby. Yes, you’re right. The cloud does appear rather muddy and dense. Let’s blame it on the reproduction.
As to me being a book someday, do you know a publisher?
I’m flattered darling. Thanks for your comments.
Claudia
CBrown said,
November 21, 2009 at 2:46 am
Claudia, do you watch Lost? Cuz that cloud looks like the Smoke Monster! It’s like an illustration for erotic Lost fanfiction.
artmodel said,
November 21, 2009 at 12:59 pm
CBrown,
No, I don’t watch Lost but I know a few people who are obsessed with that show! i hear it’s very good. Anything with a “Smoke Monster” must be pretty cool!
Claudia
Jennifer said,
November 21, 2009 at 5:47 pm
I guess the moral is to be very wary of low-flying clouds! Thanks for another interesting post
artmodel said,
November 22, 2009 at 9:21 pm
Good advice, Jennifer! Thanks
fredh1 said,
November 22, 2009 at 11:31 pm
I love that Ingres painting. Ingres combines a highly refined technique with bizarre distortions. Jupiter’s head is extremely tiny in proportion to his body. Is Ingres making a point with that?
Maybe the moral is to beware of gaseous giants!
artmodel said,
November 23, 2009 at 10:19 pm
Fred,
“gaseous giants” definitely sounds like something to avoid! Unless, of course, they’re really hot
You’re right about Ingres’ proportions in that painting. The whole scale is nuts. Look at the woman and then the falcon, and then Jupiter’s body and head. Crazy!
Claudia
coldsilvermoon said,
November 25, 2009 at 11:37 am
Outstanding post, Claudia! Classic example of why I – along with so many others – are devoted Museworthy readers. Excellent selection of paintings and great topic. I agree with Fred, the Ingres painting is interesting from a figurative perspective. I like Ingres’ work, but he mainly painted female nudes – maybe he struggled with the male nude??
artmodel said,
November 26, 2009 at 1:15 pm
coldsilvermoon,
If Ingres did have trouble with male nudes, then I guess that makes him the opposite of Michelangelo. The one above is a very unusual painting.
Thank you so much for your generous compliments about Museworthy. You’re too kind
Claudia
LK said,
November 25, 2009 at 9:06 pm
I took astronomy, but I don’t know enough about mythology yet…I didn’t know that about the moon names. Jupiter is my 2nd favored planet to it’s more sublte neighbor Saturn, but Jupiter totally rocks. In fact, Jupiter is the type of planet that if just a few more layers of gas would have developed on the surface, the weight would have caused an implosion and Jupiter would be star, thus making this solar system a binary system. (Thought I’d add that trivia : ) )
You are so brilliant,
lk
artmodel said,
November 26, 2009 at 1:19 pm
LK,
Great info about Jupiter! Cool stuff. I studied a little bit of astronomy but not as much as I should have, since I find the subject fascinating.
I agree that Jupiter totally rocks, but I’ve always had a soft spot for Neptune. Must be the striking blue color.
And I’m not brilliant, YOU are!!
Claudia