Picture of Danae, Rembrandt, 1636

Description of the picture:

Danae – Rembrandt Harmenszoon Van Rijn. 1636. Oil on canvas. 185×203

   A recognized masterpiece of the Dutch artist Rembrandt (1606-1669) Danae was written based on the myth of Danae, mother of Perseus. The girl’s father learned from the prophecy that he would die at the hands of Danai’s son, imprisoned her and assigned her a maid. This did not stop the supreme Greek god Zeus, who penetrated the prisoner in the form of golden rain, after which she gave birth to a son. The picture attracts attention with a special “Rembrandt” color. The combination of flickering tones of the curtain, bedspread and tablecloth interspersed with golden highlights reflects its beauty and sophistication.

   The body of a naked woman lying in bed is highlighted by the bright, pouring sunlight falling through the canopy shifted by the maid. Danae rose and hesitantly extended her hand to meet the light. Her divine lover is about to appear. In the image of Danai Rembrandt captured the features of his wife Saskia. After her death, they were changed and supplemented with the features of the artist’s new beloved woman. Rembrandt also rewrote the laughing angel at the head of the bed, now he is crying, obviously, from the deceased.

   The fate of the work was not easy: in 1985, a crazy vandal who visited the Hermitage poured sulfuric acid from the bottle into the center of the picture, and then twice stabbed the canvas with a knife. Damage affected almost 30% of the work, and the restoration lasted twelve years."