Correggio nativity

Correggio derived the story of Jupiter and Io from Ovid's classic work Metamorphoses (c CE), a popular source which contained numerous descriptions of the loves of the gods - ideal material to satisfy the salacious appetite of the Mantuan aristocrat. Jupiter often transformed himself into another shape in order to seduce the women he desired. In Jupiter and Io, he envelopes himself in a dark cloud in order to seduce the nymph Io - daughter of Inachus, king of Argos. Earlier, he had approached lo in his own guise and asked her to come into the woods with him, but when she fled he turned himself into a cloud and pursued her.

The picture shows Io sitting on a tree trunk in the woods. A deer drinks at her feet, while all around her is a swirl of murky cloud. Suddenly, Jupiter - whose face is just visible above Io's - pounces, pulling the nymph into his embrace. Io is taken completely by surprise, as shown by her unbalanced position. She grasps Jupiter with he Callisto and zeus!