Danaë and the Shower of Gold
Artistcircle of
Peter Paul Rubens
(Flemish, 1577 - 1640)
Date17th Century
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions80 1/4 x 69 1/4 x 3 1/2 in. (203.8 x 175.9 x 8.9 cm)
ClassificationsPaintings
Credit LineBequest of John Ringling, 1936
Object numberSN220
Greek myth recounts that Zeus came to the imprisoned princess Danäe as a shower of gold, and succeeded in impregnating her with a child, Perseus. In this depiction, while Danaë reaches up toward Zeus’s attention, her old servant tries to catch the coins cascading from above. At the foot of the bed, Cupid works to fully expose Danaë’s nude flesh. Painted by a follower of Rubens, the artist here vividly evokes the luxurious textures—note the Oriental carpet, and the metalwork ewer and basin—of the princess’s elegant and exotic surroundings.
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