Danaë

Titian painted this sensuous Danaë between 1544 and 1546 for Cardinal Alessandro Farnese, grandson of Pope Paul III. The mythological scene depicts the princess Danaë receiving Zeus, who descends as a shower of golden coins to seduce her. A prophecy had foretold that Danaë's son would kill her father, King Acrisius, who imprisoned her in a bronze tower. Zeus found a way in anyway.

The cardinal's commission came with a twist. Titian modeled Danaë's features on Angela, the cardinal's courtesan mistress. A portrait of Angela was sent from Rome to Venice so Titian could capture her likeness. When the Council of Trent convened in December 1545, the cardinal grew nervous about displaying his affair so openly. The face was softened, made slightly less recognizable.

This Naples version stands apart from Titian's other Danaë paintings. Instead of an elderly servant catching the gold, a small Cupid sits at the right edge, gazing at the scene. The warm flesh tones against cool white sheets and the cascade of gold coins create one of the most celebrated mythological nudes of the Renaissance. The painting passed through the Farnese family collection before arriving at the Museo di Capodimonte.