Danaë is Rembrandt's painting from the collection of Pierre Crozat which from the 18th century resides in the Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia. It is a life-sized depiction of the character Danaë from Greek mythology, the mother of Perseus. She is presumably depicted as welcoming Zeus, who impregnated her in the form of a shower of gold. Given that this is one of Rembrandt's most magnificent paintings, it is not out of the question that he cherished it, but it also may have been difficult to sell because of its eight-by-ten-foot size. Although the artist's wife Saskia was... the original model for Danaë, Rembrandt later changed the figure's face to that of his mistress Geertje Dircx. On June 15, 1985 Rembrandt's painting was attacked by a man later judged insane; he threw sulfuric acid on the canvas and cut it twice with his knife. The entire central part of the composition was turned into a mixture of spots with a conglomerate of splashes and areas of dripping paint. The worst damage was to the face and hair of Danaë, her right arm, and legs. The process of restoring the painting began the same day.
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| Artist: | Rembrandt |
| Artform: | Painting |
| Date completed: | 1636 |
| Genre: | History painting |
| Height: | 6' 1" |
| Width: | 6' 8" |