Episode 226 - Titian’s “Danaë” (Capodimonte Museum, Naples)

In 1544, Titian produced the first of at least six versions of the Danaë subject for Cardinal Alessandro Farnese, nephew of Pope Paul III. Shortly thereafter, a second version was painted and sent to King Phillip II of Spain. The immense popularity of Titian’s sensual painting style combined with the erotic nature of the subject made the “Danaë” one of the most famous paintings of Renaissance Europe.