Danaë by Titian

The Danaë series (sometimes known as Danaë and the Shower of Gold) comprises at least five oil-on-canvas paintings by the Venetian master Titian, completed between 1553 and 1556. The works are based on the mythological figure of Danaë. According to Ovid she was isolated in a dungeon following a prophecy that her firstborn son would eventually kill her father. Although aware of the consequences, Danaë was seduced and became pregnant by Zeus (in Roman mythology Jupiter), who, descending from Mount Olympus, enticed her as a shower of gold.

Danaë with Eros, 1544. This painting shows the youthful figure of Eros alongside Danaë. 120 cm × 172 cm. National Museum of Capodimonte, Naples

Danaë with Nursemaid, 1553–1554. Here, an ageing nursemaid has replaced Eros, while the cloth covering Danaë's upper thigh is absent, leaving her naked. 129 cm × 180 cm. Museo del Prado, Madrid

Titian, 1553-1554, Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg. Here the figures are closer together, but the dog is absent.

Titian and workshop, 1564. Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna. That there was large input from Titian's workshop is revealed by the heavier treatment of Danaë's skin-tone and body as well as the hanging drapery. Here a pink flower replaces the dog of the Madrid painting.