Raub der Töchter des Leukippos

The abduction of the king’s daughters came to a tragic end when Castor und Pollux were killed during the pursuit. Although twins, they were the offspring of two different fathers. Castor was the son of Tyndareus, the King of Sparta, and therefore mortal; this was not the case with Pollux, the son of Jupiter. When Pollux asked not to be separated from his brother, both were transformed into celestial bodies. Through the complex composition that suggests a number of different views and the sensual rendering of textures Rubens demonstrates the superiority of painting over sculpture.