Danaë

Italian artist Correggio painted this Danaë around 1531 as part of a series depicting Jupiter's loves. The myth tells how Jupiter visited Danaë as a shower of gold when her father locked her away to prevent a prophecy that her son would kill him. She bore Perseus from this divine union.

Correggio shows Danaë reclining on luxurious fabrics as golden coins stream onto her lap. Cupid assists, lifting her sheet. A small Eros tests an arrow nearby. The sensuous treatment and soft sfumato modeling made Correggio influential on later artists. The painting hangs in the Borghese Gallery.