Famous lovers from Greek mythology, Leander swam the Hellespont (now known as the Dardanelles) every night to visit Hero, guided by a light that she lit on her tower. One stormy night the light was extinguished, and Leander drowned. Recognising his body, Hero threw herself into the sea and also died. This drawing shows the rough sea and a number of nereids (sea nymphs) but Leander is not easy to identify. He may be the outstretched body floating in the centre. The Latin inscription, very likely in Rubens’s own hand, reads ‘Leander swimming as Cupid leads the way’.