Abduction on a Unicorn

Albrecht Dürer may have put a twist on the Abduction of Proserpina story. Usually Pluto (the abductor) is shown on foot or driving a chariot. But here he rides a unicorn. And this unicorn—neither a snorting, fiery steed nor a symbol of purity—seems like the horse version of a leering pervert. Pluto’s detached expression sets an odd mood, and as for the woman, she is remarkably ill formed.