description Danae Overview
Danaë is a mythological subject painted by multiple masters including Titian, who produced several versions from the 1540s onward, depicting the princess receiving Zeus disguised as a shower of gold, from Ovid's Metamorphoses.
help Danae FAQ
What story does the painting Danaë show?
Danaë is the mythological princess visited by Zeus, or Jupiter, in the form of a shower of gold. The story comes through classical sources including Ovid's Metamorphoses and leads to the birth of Perseus.
Why are there several paintings called Danaë?
Danaë is a subject rather than one unique canvas, so Titian and other artists made separate versions. Titian's workshop produced at least six versions between about 1544 and the 1560s.
Which Titian Danaë is in Naples?
Titian's early version for Cardinal Alessandro Farnese is in the National Museum of Capodimonte in Naples. The Prado's version changes the composition by replacing Cupid with an old nursemaid ([Museo del Prado](https://www.museodelprado.es/en/the-collection/art-work/danae-and-the-shower-of-gold/0da1e69e-4d1d-4f25-b41a-bac3c0eb6a3c?searchid=91ef405a-d8db-9cbb-e104-a6660f0e24ad)).
Is Danaë the same subject as Titian's Venus and Adonis?
No. Danaë shows the golden-shower episode, while Venus and Adonis depicts Venus's love for the hunter Adonis, another mythological subject linked to Ovid.
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