Gustav Klimt - Danae

Danaë, painted in 1907 in oil on canvas by Austrian Symbolist Gustav Klimt. The mythological princess is curled tightly within the square frame as the golden rain of Zeus enters the composition, translating the ancient story into an intensely intimate image. Her closed eyes and compressed pose emphasize inward absorption rather than narrative action. Klimt surrounds the figure with purple fabric, ornament and gold, combining naturalistic figure painting with the decorative surface of his Golden Period. The painting was shown in Klimt's Room 22 at the Kunstschau Wien 1908 and was purchased directly from the exhibition by collector Eduard Ast for 8,000 crowns.