Swans, associated with Aphrodite, Venus and Apollo, have long been a source of mythic fascination; during the Greek Archaic period they were considered a symbol of good health, music, divination and grace. They have inspired artists for millennia, from the Greek myth of Leda and the swan and its depictions by Leonardo, Cézanne or Boucher, to Hilma af Klint, whose portrayals, from figurative to abstract, will feature in an exhibition opening at the Grand Palais in Paris this spring (6 May until 30 August). Shannon Cartier Lucy’s 2019 oil Girl with Swans features a woman carrying a plastic bag of swans, which she likes painting for their “loaded symbolism”. Her solo show Bucket of Birds will open in April at Night Gallery in LA.