Marcel Bourain's Leda and the Swan has a simplified realism and geometry that is a defining aspect of Art Deco style. This photograph, circa 1925, captures the majesty and symmetry of the piece using light and shadow.
Leda and the Swan is a Greek myth that has been depicted many times from Antiquity through the Renaissance. In it, Zeus takes the form of a swan and visits Leda, the queen of Sparta, together they give birth to Helen, whose abduction brings about the Trojan War.