Danaë (with Cupid)

Titian, known as the greatest Italian Renaissance painter of the Venetian school, was known for penetrating human character in his canvases. In many of his paintings, he carefully represented physical beauty and a level of eroticism that has not been matched [1].

Titian’s Danaë, painted in 1544, was a commission made for the Cardinal Alessandro Farnese. It is the first of six versions of the same composition made in the 1540s through 1560s. The painting depicts the myth of Danaë, in which her father (Acrisius) receives a prophecy from an oracle that declares his death would be at the hands of his future grandson. In this composition, Danaë is imprisoned in a tower by her father following the oracle’s warning. Danaë is shown fully naked on a bed of white sheets, used to denote her innocence and virtue [2]. Knowing the consequences, Danaë let herself be seduced and impregnated by Zeus. Zeus, appearing as a shower of gold coins, broke the defenses used by Danaë’s father through this disguise. With a white cloth partially draped across her leg, Danaë’s eyes face the shower of gold coins, representing her acceptance of Zeus into her space. Titian contrasts the direction of her eyes with the direction of her body, which faces towards the frame, once again depicting her openness to Zeus. Danaë’s beauty lives up to the standards of Venetian females as she represents the ideal body with her pale skin [2]. Titian uses subtle details like soft body texture and jewelry to emphasize Danaë as a perfect representation of beauty. The figure of cupid on the right gazes upon the scene at the shower of gold coins as he seemingly leans out of the frame. This action symbolizes his acceptance and support for Danaë’s decision.

Titian’s Danaë is known as one of the most erotic and sensual works of the time [1]. Titian creates a tranquil scene where Zeus penetrates through Acrisius’s barrier and impregnates his daughter. This painting is often used to evoke the rivalry between painting in Venice and Rome (specifically Michelangelo’s works). Michelangelo is said to have visited this painting, appreciating it for its coloring and style, but mentioned the lack of Venetians ability to draw [3].

[1] Harold Wethey, Titian (Encyclopedia Britannica) 1, 2.

[2] Madlyn Millner Kahr, Danaë: Virtuous, Voluptuous, Venal Woman (The Art Bulletin 60, no. 1, 1978) 47, 48.

[3] Zhenya Gershman, Rembrandt: The "I" Witness (Arion: A Journal of Humanities and the Classics, 2011), 65.

Titian

Wethey, Harold. “Titian.” Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. Accessed November 4, 2020. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Titian.

Kahr, Madlyn Millner. "Danaë: Virtuous, Voluptuous, Venal Woman." The Art Bulletin 60, no. 1 (1978): 43-55. Accessed October 30, 2020. doi:10.2307/3049743

Gershman, Zhenya. "Rembrandt: The "I" Witness." Arion: A Journal of Humanities and the Classics, Third Series, 19, no. 2 (2011): 65-91. Accessed November 4, 2020. http://www.jstor.org/stable/41308565.

Titian. 1544. Danaë. painting. Place: Museo e gallerie nazionali di Capodimonte. https://library.artstor.org/asset/SCALA_ARCHIVES_10310197960.

Commissioner:
Cardinal Alessandro Farnese.

Image Source:
Titian. 1544. Danaë. painting. Place: Museo e gallerie nazionali di Capodimonte. https://library.artstor.org/asset/SCALA_ARCHIVES_10310197960.

1544

Raj Kumar

(c) 2006, SCALA, Florence / ART RESOURCE, N.Y.

Oil on Canvas, 117 x 69 cm

Painting

National Museum of Capodimonte, Naples, Italy