"Danae and the Shower of Gold"

Titian - Tiziano Vecelli - Oil
This is one of the Danaë series, was painted by Titian. Based on the mythological figure of Danaë. According to Ovid, she was isolated in a dungeon. Danaë was seduced and became pregnant by Zeus, who descending from Mount Olympus and enticed her as a shower of gold. Titian executed this version for Spanish monarch Philip II. A dog (sometimes used as a symbol of libertinism) resting at Danaë's side and her companion is a haggish nursemaid. Danaë is a depicted as a voluptuous figure. Her legs are open, with her left leg arched
this being a central painterly motif. The nursemaid's ugliness draws attention by comparison to the beauty of Danaë. The greenish cast of her skin is set against the pale hues of the younger woman. The Danaë series have been highly influential and affected the work of Rembrandt, Anthony van Dyck and Gustav Klimt, who all painted versions of the scene.