Danaë
Dublin Core
Title
Description
This painting, Danaë, was done by Titian in 1544 for the Cardinal Alessandro Farnese. Many more versions of this subject by Titian exist, however this was Titian’s first rendition of Danaë and it now resides in the Museo di Capodimonte [1]. It was one of the more sensual paintings done in the time period of the Italian Renaissance, it is one example of the erotic mythologies popularized by Titian in Western art [2]. The subject of his painting is the myth of Danaë. The myth of Danaë tells how Danaë’s father Arcrisius, King of Argos had consulted an oracle who told him a prophecy. The oracle foretold his death at the hands of his grandson. In order to prevent the prophecy, he locked away Danaë in a tower. His plan failed when Zeus seduced her in the from of gold coins and she became pregnant [3].
The story unfolds as Titian paints Danaë on a bed of pure, white sheets with one draped across her leg. Her upper body is twisted open towards the front while the bottom half of her is laying down, away from the viewer. She is depicted as a voluptuous figure and her legs are bent apart from one another. Her beauty is true to Venetian standards of the time as she is fair and blonde, and Danaë of myth was meant to be beautiful. She gazes softly, but amorously into the golden haze that represents Zeus raining down upon her. Cupid, or Eros the god of love, stands at the foot of Danaë ’s bed and seems to lean out of the way of the falling gold coins, allowing Zeus to impregnate her. These elements create the erotic nature that the painting was influential for. Danaë’s bed seems to reside in an open loggia, supported by a large columns in the center of the painting. The loggia opens up into a hazy landscape to be as the blue sky and green and brown colors of faraway hills. The colors create an interesting composition as they cut the painting into two diagonal halves. The top half consist of darker, earth tones while everything surrounding Danaë is light and of neutral tones. The composition of the colors is consistent with the purity that Titian paints Danaë in, as the area around her is very white and light representing her untainted nature as she has been locked away her whole life.
1. Titian. Danaë. https://library.artstor.org/asset/SCALA_ARCHIVES_10310197960.
2. “National Gallery of Art,” Titian's Danaë, accessed October 30, 2020, https://www.nga.gov/press/exh/3951.html.
3. “Danae Receiving the Golden Rain, 1553 by Titian,” accessed October 30, 2020, https://www.titian.org/danae-receiving-the-golden-rain.jsp.
Creator
Source
“Danae Receiving the Golden Rain, 1553 by Titian.” Accessed October 30, 2020. https://www.titian.org/danae-receiving-the-golden-rain.jsp.
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.
“National Gallery of Art.” Titian's Danaë. Accessed October 30, 2020. https://www.nga.gov/press/exh/3951.html.
Titian. 1544. Danaë. painting. Place: Museo e gallerie nazionali di Capodimonte. https://library.artstor.org/asset/SCALA_ARCHIVES_10310197960.Publisher
Image Source:
Titian. 1544. Danaë. painting. Place: Museo e gallerie nazionali di Capodimonte. https://library.artstor.org/asset/SCALA_ARCHIVES_10310197960.