Taurus 2

Taurus is the second piece I created in my Zodiac series and the composition quickly came together. The personality and posture of taurus led to a quick composition.

Like most Zodiac symbols, the origin story of Taurus is not entirely clear. There are a few schools of thought behind its inception.

A common story tells of Zeus taking the form of a bull in order to abduct the maiden, Europa. With a hide as white as fresh snow, shiny horns, and fantastic neck muscles, Zeus was the Bell-of-the-Bulls. Really, the whole package. Europa was on a beach day with her friends when she became entranced by the bull. She adorned him with flowers and climbed on his back. Bull-Zeus promptly swam out to the shore of Crete where he revealed his true form and then seduced Europa.

Why her friends failed to caution her about riding wild animals we do not know. Maybe they wanted to get rid of her. Maybe they wanted a good laugh. We can only speculate.

Another story tells of the mad bull, Cerus, who trampled crops and brought destruction wherever he went. The Spring Goddess, Persephone, calmed Cerus and taught him how to use his strength wisely. Every spring Persephone returns and sets the plants to bloom while riding Cerus’s back.

Both stories associate the bull with flowers and plant life, which provides context for incorporating these textures into the illustration.