Danae Painting

This painting is based on a Greek myth. Danae was the daughter of King Acrisius of Argos. Disappointed by his lack of male heirs, Acrisius asked an oracle if this would change. The oracle told him to go to the Earth's end where he would be killed by his daughter's child. She was childless and, meaning to keep her so, he shut her up in a bronze tower or cave. But Zeus came to her in the form of golden rain, (He had a habit of showing up as something else and do these things.) and impregnated her. Soon after, their child Perseus was born.

Painters have made paintings of Danea for centuries. Rembrandt, Klimt among others. They have always used it as a vehicle to portray a woman alone experiencing sexual pleasure.



In my case I became friend with a beautiful woman on MySpace and she showed me many photos of herself in body paint done by a very good professional artist. We talked about them in messages and I decided on one that would work for this idea with my using her body pose and beauty and me adding the vine and background. The idea of the vine is a variation on the shower of gold but I liked the idea of it growing from colors very human or fleshlike and going through the purple of passion to the gold around her face.

As I worked I sent digial images to the model and she would make suggesgtions as I went. She was and has been a great inspiration for me on this work and on some of the work I’m doing now. I hope to do more paintings of her from photos she takes especially for my paintings.
To view a larger version of or purchase this painting  go to: DANAE