Leda in Brussels, Belgium

myminifactory

This marble sculpture of Leda was expertly crafted in 1734 by Jan-Baptiste van der Haegen. It remains a permanent fixture on display at Warandepark in Brussels, Belgium. Leda is a central figure in Greek mythology as the daughter of Thestius, king of Aetolia, and wife of Tyndareus, king of Sparta. Her myth has given rise to a popular theme in Renaissance and later art - Leda and the Swan. She was the mother of Helen of Troy, Clytemnestra, and Castor and Pollux. Zeus admired Leda and seduced her while disguised as a swan. As a swan, Zeus sought protection from an eagle on the hunt, and their union took place that same night while Leda lay with her husband Tyndareus. Two eggs hatched from this encounter - one containing Helen (later known as the beautiful "Helen of Troy"), Clytemnestra, and Castor and Pollux (also known as the Dioscuri). The accounts differ on which children are the mortal offspring of Tyndareus and which are the divine progeny of Zeus. However, it is consistently stated that Helen is a daughter of Zeus.