\paperw19995 \margr0\margl0 \plain \fs20 \f1 A myth tells how Zeus fell in love with Danaδ û the daughter of Acrisius, king of Argos û and came to her in the form of a golden sho
wer. Rembrandt represents the woman, who lays naked on a sumptuous canopy bed, smiling congenially at the light that falls on her.\par
At the back, behind the heavy drape of red velvet, we can see the figure of the girlÆs elderly father who, terrified b
y the prophecy that his grandchild would kill him, did not hesitate to imprison her in a bronze tower.\par
DanaδÆs body, which is softened by the dim light, is one of the very few female nudes painted by Rembrandt who, over the long span of his career,
was always careful not to offend the prudish Calvinist Dutch.\par
The rich colors, the wonderful brushwork and, above all, the exquisite handling of light make this work a masterpiece almost on the level of the celebrated \i Nightwatch\i0 , which was pa
inted in 1642.\par
The painting, that was acquired in 1772, was vandalised in 1983 and the central figure was seriously damaged.
