Danaë by Gustav Klimt
Danae by Gustav Klimt
Over the centuries, the ancient myth of Danaë, the captive daughter of a king who could only be reached by a divine rain, has inspired numerous artists to create erotic depictions. One of these artists was the Austrian painter Gustav Klimt, who presented his interpretation of Danaë in 1907. According to legend, Danaë was the daughter of King Acrisius of Argos, who was foretold that he would die at the hands of his grandson. Out of fear, he locked his only childless daughter out of reach in a tower. But Zeus, the father of the gods, desired Danae so much that he came upon her in the form of a golden rain and fathered the hero Perseus with her. In the end, Perseus accidentally killed his grandfather with a discus.
In Klimt's artwork, the viewer is presented with the sensual act between Danaë and the golden rain falling between her legs. A notable detail is the black, elongated square near Danaë's pubis, which carries an allegorical meaning.
Resolution 12000 x 10800px
