by Titian, 1553
Titian painted this version of Danaë around 1553 for King Philip II of Spain. The myth tells how Zeus visited Danaë as a shower of gold while she was imprisoned by her father. Titian shows the golden rain falling onto Danaë's nude body while an elderly servant tries to catch coins in her apron.
The contrast between Danaë's sensual abandon and the servant's greed creates both humor and commentary. This was one of a series of "poesie" (poetic paintings) Titian created for Philip II, treating mythological subjects as opportunities for exploring the female nude.
Michelangelo reportedly criticized an earlier version of this subject, saying Titian couldn't draw. The Prado version shows Titian's mastery of color and flesh tones at its peak.
Other masterpieces from the Renaissance movement

Sandro Botticelli, 1476
Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Florence

Sandro Botticelli, 1485
Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Florence

Raphael, 1511
Vatican Museums, Vatican City

Sandro Botticelli, 1482
Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Florence

Raphael, 1510
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

Raphael, 1512
Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, Dresden, Dresden

El Greco, 1614
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

Leonardo da Vinci, 1500
Private Collection, Unknown
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