Why it matters
Life-sized and radiant, Danaë welcomes Zeus, who visits her as a shower of gold. Rembrandt reworked the painting substantially after 1636 and changed the face from his wife Saskia's to that of his mistress Geertje Dircx.
Did you know?
- It was first completed in 1636 and reworked by 1643.
- In 1985 a man threw sulphuric acid on it and slashed it twice.
- Restoration started the same day the painting was attacked.
Based on the Wikipedia article Danaë (Rembrandt) (CC BY-SA 4.0).
