Bronze sculpture, 68 x 64 x 26 cm
Europa and the bull - the myth that gave our continent its name and is also sometimes used in a simplistic way to refer to the European Union, must of course not be missing from the art collection of the Europäische Akademie Otzenhausen. The model for this bronze sculpture was already created in the 1970s and has not, to this day, lost any of its timeliness: Europe is omnipresent. Richoff's bull powerfully and dynamically storms forward, nothing can stop it. The female figure on his back is swept away by this dynamic and seems to hover over his body. She holds a banner with 27 perforations, which stand for the number of EU member states.

From a vase painting from the 5th century BC to - as here - an expressionistically designed sculpture, the motif has been frequently used in European art. It goes back to Greek mythology, according to which the supreme god Zeus fell in love with the princess Europa. To win her over, he took the shape of a bull and abducted her to Crete. Due to a promise of the Goddess Aphrodite, the continent was named after this princess.

Richoff (Richard Hoffmann, *1930 in Lebach, Germany) produced numerous sculptures in bronze and cast stone between 1963 and 1983, many of which can still be seen today as art in public space in various locations in Saarland. After 1983, he again focused on painting, with a particular fascination for nature and animals. From 1987 he turned to cell tectonic art. Between 1969 and 1989 he also worked as an art educator. He lives and works in Lebach.