Danaë and the Shower of Gold

Danaë and the Shower of Gold (c1623) by Orazio Gentileschi.

Danaë and the Shower of Gold (c1623) by Orazio Gentileschi. The subject draws from a tale in Ovid’s Metamorphoses, where King Acrisius of Argos locks away his stunning daughter, Danaë, in a desperate attempt to thwart a prophecy foretelling that her future son would be his undoing. Defying mortal barriers, Jupiter descends in a shimmering golden shower, impregnating Danaë and setting into motion the birth of Perseus—the legendary hero who ultimately fulfills the Oracle’s ominous prediction.

The Museum acquired this piece in 1970 with the understanding that it was one of the three paintings that Orazio had painted for Antonio Sauli’s Genoese Palazzo in the early 1620s. However, it was later discovered that the version in Cleveland is an autograph copy of the original. (Meaning Orazio painted it but it was not for Sauli.) The original is in the Getty Museum in Los Angeles.

This piece underwent significant restoration a few years ago, returning it to its former glory; interestingly, the restoration that occurred in the 1970s when it was purchased by the museum actually ended up diminishing the painting’s viewability over time.