Danaë
Rembrandt·1636
Historical Context
Rembrandt painted Danaë in 1636, depicting the mythological princess visited by Zeus in the form of a shower of gold. The painting was radically reworked around 1643-49, when Rembrandt altered the face (originally modeled on Saskia) and transformed the composition. In 1985, a visitor to the Hermitage attacked the painting with sulfuric acid and a knife, causing severe damage that required twelve years of restoration. Now in the Hermitage Museum, the painting's troubled history has made it one of the most discussed works in Rembrandt's oeuvre.
Technical Analysis
The warm, golden light that floods over the reclining nude figure is Rembrandt's most sensuous treatment of the female body, with the rich impasto of the bedding and the luminous flesh tones creating an image of intimate beauty.
Look Closer
- ◆Notice the warm, golden light flooding over the reclining nude — Rembrandt's most sensuous treatment of the female body.
- ◆Look at the rich impasto of the bedding and the luminous flesh tones creating the image's warm, intimate atmosphere.
- ◆Observe the servant visible in the background drawing back the curtain — the scene observed as if by a privileged witness.
- ◆Find the face that has been altered from its original Saskia likeness, the reworking visible in the paint layers when examined closely.
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