Tiziano Vecellio Danae and the Shower of Gold, 1554. Museo del Prado, MadridA Look At Titian's Painting Danae
By John Smith.
Tiziano Vecellio, a Venetian Artist known as Titan, was commissioned in the years of 1544-1546 to paint a canvas, by a cardinal, Alessandro Farnese. The painting that Alessandro commissioned was the Danae. Danae is a painting that still to this day is very ambiguous. When Titian was commissioned, in order to oblige the cardinal, he gave Danae the features of Donna Olimpia, a famous courtesan with whom Alessandro was thought to have had a liaison (Huse and Wolters, 1996).
Through visual description, Titian's use of light and colour, as well as the many compositional elements that are displayed, Danae truly becomes recognized and understood.
When looking at Danae, the viewer is first drawn to the nude women reclining across the picture plane in a three-quarter frontal pose. Danae is reclining on a bed that is dressed with white linens, and rests her head atop a white pillow. Her right arm is bent at the elbow, and extends slightly outwards beside her. Danae's right leg is bent up at the knee, and her left leg is bent at the knee as well, however extending downwards. The only drapery she wears, keeping her from being naked, is a white linen bed sheet that drapes across her upper thigh. Titian was an artist known for his celebration of the human body.
Through painting a women nude, Titian aimed for a sense of calmness and serenity in the feminine body (Huse and Wolters, 1996); therefore, Danae's form is very distinct and has a sculptural quality. Danae gazes upwards, which then leads the viewer to the burst of golden showers and coins that appear high above her torso. In mythology, there are many different stories surrounding Danae; however, in the book the "Metamorphoses", it tells of Danae being imprisoned in a tower (however the reason is unknown) where Jupiter, in the form of golden rain, impregnates her (Nash 1985). Therefore, floating above the torso area of Danae is the shower of golden rain. The coins that are shown within this shower of golden rain have been given many different meanings by many different mythographers, aiding to the sense of Danae being so ambiguous. Some say the coins represent marriage and wealth; others say the coins represent Danae as a prostitute; therefore, if Danae is a prostitute, the coins in Jupiter's rain are his way of paying her for her services. From the golden rain, the viewer is drawn to the standing nude Cupid on the right hand side of the painting. As Jupiter arrives, Cupid turns to the side, away from the god's explosion. Cupid here is shown as a young boy. He has a small, plump body, and a very childlike face.
The distinguishing feature that makes the viewer aware that this is not just a boy, is the colourful wings that he wears on his back. Titian, being a Venetian Artist, was intrigued by colour, and fantastically used them within his work. Colorito, a term that describes the application of paint without line in bright colour, is displayed in the wings of Cupid as well as throughout the entire painting of Danae. In Titian's use of colorito, the painting lacks an emphasis on line, and brings forth a new style that is far from any of the Florentine Painters, such as Michelangelo. Titian's new style was disliked by many of the Renaissance painters up until this time; however, in Venice, Titian's style quickly became acknowledged, and he became recognized as a master (Vasari 1986).
The last element that completes the viewers leading eye is Cupid's right arm. As he turns away from Jupiter's rain, he begins to leave the room, leading with his arm, as his work for Danae is done. With his arm pushing outward off of the painting, the viewer gets an overall feeling for the work. In mythology, with so much of the story left untold, it is a wonder why Titian, for his first poesia, a mythological character created purely for pleasure in Venetian Art, chose such a minor subject matter in terms of textual importance.
The source of light deeply adds to the effect of this painting. Not only does it aid in the overall mood of the work, but it also adds to Titian's strong use of colour. The light displayed in this work is coming from the far left side. It casts significantly warm tones, which make the viewer believe the light source is that of candlelight; perhaps it is shining from the bedside table beside Danae. With the light coming from Danae's right side, there is a strong sense of shadows that are cast throughout the work. The heavy yellow curtain that hangs from the top left corner, casts a strong shadow across Danae's face. Within Titian's work, a shadow cast across a figures face became a sign of tragedy; this was also displayed through other pieces of his works, such as "The Rape of Europa" as well as the "Fall of Man" (Rosand 1997).
The lighting in the work also affects the overall mood. With the casting of the light being warm, the painting is given a calm, relaxing, and romantic feeling. To Titian, the only way to establish a mood, or to communicate a feeling to the viewer, was through the use of colour. All of the colour combinations that Titian uses within the Danae equally add to the overall mood. Titian, being a Venetian Artist, was very concerned with the use of colour in his works; in part, this was due to the richness of Venice being a colourful and cosmopolitan city due to trades with the East (Williams 1975). Titian was thought to have believed that to paint with only colours, without drawing on the canvas first, was what the true principles of art were (Williams 1975). Titian was the first artist to "make of colour an entity unto itself; and in so doing he opened a path to generations of painters have followed down to the present day" (Williams 1975, p.16).
Within the composition of Danae, there are certain elements that complete the overall unity of the work; without the incorporation of certain elements, the work would have been incomplete with a lack of understanding for the overall mood. Surface textures play a strong role in understanding the composition. With Danae positioned the way she is, the bed sheet around her realistically folds. With the warm glow that Danae's body gives off, the light, soft, delicate feel of the bed sheet helps project her mood. As the viewer looks into the background, texture is still projected, however in a very subtle yet realistic way. In reality, when looking at something with texture, the further away you are from it, the duller it appears; through surface texture, Titian gives the Danae a very realistic feel.
With the sense of texture being acknowledged, it lends a hand to the perspective of depth in the work. Titian definitely displays a sense of depth within the Danae. In the foreground, lit well by light is Danae. Slightly off to the side is Cupid; Cupid is lit by the light, however not as clearly as Danae, as he is father from the source of light. When looking deeper into the painting, strong shadows as well as darkness are shown due to the amount of light a single candle gives off. In the very background is a window, where the horizon is slightly shown. This window helps create a sense of depth within the work; without the window, the background would be nothing but black, and the sense of depth that eludes would be lost. With the display of light, as well as the view of the horizon through the window in the background, Titian successfully creates a sense of believable space within Danae.
The way the elements within the composition are arranged is an important aspect to the meaning of Danae; the way the viewer is taken through the painting by the arrangement helps tell the story of Danae from beginning to end. If the elements within the composition were arranged any differently, the poesia of Danae would be lost.
Danae was the first piece of commissioned work that Titian painted in his transition of style. However, in changing his ideal style, he was successful in satisfying both his own ideas as well as his patrons' wants. This was in part due to the similarities in Titian and his patrons; they both thought that the world should embody beauty and aesthetic pleasure (Williams 1975). Alessandro Farnese, the commissioner of Danae, wished to live in beauty and splendour, and within the painting, Titian satisfied both the wants of Alessandro as well as himself.
Through visual description, Titian's use of light and colour, as well as the many compositional elements that are displayed, Danae truly becomes recognized and understood.
When looking at Danae, the viewer is first drawn to the nude women reclining across the picture plane in a three-quarter frontal pose. Danae is reclining on a bed that is dressed with white linens, and rests her head atop a white pillow. Her right arm is bent at the elbow, and extends slightly outwards beside her. Danae's right leg is bent up at the knee, and her left leg is bent at the knee as well, however extending downwards. The only drapery she wears, keeping her from being naked, is a white linen bed sheet that drapes across her upper thigh. Titian was an artist known for his celebration of the human body.
Through painting a women nude, Titian aimed for a sense of calmness and serenity in the feminine body (Huse and Wolters, 1996); therefore, Danae's form is very distinct and has a sculptural quality. Danae gazes upwards, which then leads the viewer to the burst of golden showers and coins that appear high above her torso. In mythology, there are many different stories surrounding Danae; however, in the book the "Metamorphoses", it tells of Danae being imprisoned in a tower (however the reason is unknown) where Jupiter, in the form of golden rain, impregnates her (Nash 1985). Therefore, floating above the torso area of Danae is the shower of golden rain. The coins that are shown within this shower of golden rain have been given many different meanings by many different mythographers, aiding to the sense of Danae being so ambiguous. Some say the coins represent marriage and wealth; others say the coins represent Danae as a prostitute; therefore, if Danae is a prostitute, the coins in Jupiter's rain are his way of paying her for her services. From the golden rain, the viewer is drawn to the standing nude Cupid on the right hand side of the painting. As Jupiter arrives, Cupid turns to the side, away from the god's explosion. Cupid here is shown as a young boy. He has a small, plump body, and a very childlike face.
The distinguishing feature that makes the viewer aware that this is not just a boy, is the colourful wings that he wears on his back. Titian, being a Venetian Artist, was intrigued by colour, and fantastically used them within his work. Colorito, a term that describes the application of paint without line in bright colour, is displayed in the wings of Cupid as well as throughout the entire painting of Danae. In Titian's use of colorito, the painting lacks an emphasis on line, and brings forth a new style that is far from any of the Florentine Painters, such as Michelangelo. Titian's new style was disliked by many of the Renaissance painters up until this time; however, in Venice, Titian's style quickly became acknowledged, and he became recognized as a master (Vasari 1986).
The last element that completes the viewers leading eye is Cupid's right arm. As he turns away from Jupiter's rain, he begins to leave the room, leading with his arm, as his work for Danae is done. With his arm pushing outward off of the painting, the viewer gets an overall feeling for the work. In mythology, with so much of the story left untold, it is a wonder why Titian, for his first poesia, a mythological character created purely for pleasure in Venetian Art, chose such a minor subject matter in terms of textual importance.
The source of light deeply adds to the effect of this painting. Not only does it aid in the overall mood of the work, but it also adds to Titian's strong use of colour. The light displayed in this work is coming from the far left side. It casts significantly warm tones, which make the viewer believe the light source is that of candlelight; perhaps it is shining from the bedside table beside Danae. With the light coming from Danae's right side, there is a strong sense of shadows that are cast throughout the work. The heavy yellow curtain that hangs from the top left corner, casts a strong shadow across Danae's face. Within Titian's work, a shadow cast across a figures face became a sign of tragedy; this was also displayed through other pieces of his works, such as "The Rape of Europa" as well as the "Fall of Man" (Rosand 1997).
The lighting in the work also affects the overall mood. With the casting of the light being warm, the painting is given a calm, relaxing, and romantic feeling. To Titian, the only way to establish a mood, or to communicate a feeling to the viewer, was through the use of colour. All of the colour combinations that Titian uses within the Danae equally add to the overall mood. Titian, being a Venetian Artist, was very concerned with the use of colour in his works; in part, this was due to the richness of Venice being a colourful and cosmopolitan city due to trades with the East (Williams 1975). Titian was thought to have believed that to paint with only colours, without drawing on the canvas first, was what the true principles of art were (Williams 1975). Titian was the first artist to "make of colour an entity unto itself; and in so doing he opened a path to generations of painters have followed down to the present day" (Williams 1975, p.16).
Within the composition of Danae, there are certain elements that complete the overall unity of the work; without the incorporation of certain elements, the work would have been incomplete with a lack of understanding for the overall mood. Surface textures play a strong role in understanding the composition. With Danae positioned the way she is, the bed sheet around her realistically folds. With the warm glow that Danae's body gives off, the light, soft, delicate feel of the bed sheet helps project her mood. As the viewer looks into the background, texture is still projected, however in a very subtle yet realistic way. In reality, when looking at something with texture, the further away you are from it, the duller it appears; through surface texture, Titian gives the Danae a very realistic feel.
With the sense of texture being acknowledged, it lends a hand to the perspective of depth in the work. Titian definitely displays a sense of depth within the Danae. In the foreground, lit well by light is Danae. Slightly off to the side is Cupid; Cupid is lit by the light, however not as clearly as Danae, as he is father from the source of light. When looking deeper into the painting, strong shadows as well as darkness are shown due to the amount of light a single candle gives off. In the very background is a window, where the horizon is slightly shown. This window helps create a sense of depth within the work; without the window, the background would be nothing but black, and the sense of depth that eludes would be lost. With the display of light, as well as the view of the horizon through the window in the background, Titian successfully creates a sense of believable space within Danae.
The way the elements within the composition are arranged is an important aspect to the meaning of Danae; the way the viewer is taken through the painting by the arrangement helps tell the story of Danae from beginning to end. If the elements within the composition were arranged any differently, the poesia of Danae would be lost.
Danae was the first piece of commissioned work that Titian painted in his transition of style. However, in changing his ideal style, he was successful in satisfying both his own ideas as well as his patrons' wants. This was in part due to the similarities in Titian and his patrons; they both thought that the world should embody beauty and aesthetic pleasure (Williams 1975). Alessandro Farnese, the commissioner of Danae, wished to live in beauty and splendour, and within the painting, Titian satisfied both the wants of Alessandro as well as himself.
Bibliography:
Huse, N and Wolters, W. (1996) The Art of Renaissance Venice. New York: Phaidon
Jephcott. C. (1990) Art in Italy. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.
Nash, J. (1985) Veiled Images: Titian's Mythological Paintings for Philip II. Philadelphia: The Art Alliance Press
Rosand, D. (1997) Painting in Sixteenth-Century Venice. New York, NY:Cambridge University Press
Vasari, G. (1986) The Great Masters. London: Ed. Michael Sonino. Hugh Lauter Levin Associates, Inc., .
Williams, J. (1975) The World of Titian: c.1488-1576. New York: Time Life Books
N.B. This is just an example of a possible Contextual Studies essay. Of course you do not have to write like this, but it might help you to understand how to structure your writing and how to use your references.
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