Nobody in the Hermitage expected a disaster that day. A man stopped at the painting "Danae", took out a can with acid from a bag and splashed it out to the painting. He also hit a painting twice with a knife. While the police was arresting the madman, the acid was damaging the masterpiece. It never happened before in the museum and the first they didn't know what to do. Finally the chemists came and rendered specialized help and the painting was sent to a restoration workshop.
Restoration took 12 years. After the attack the experts suggested putting the original into the archives and exhibit a copy but in 1997 the original of Danae was exhibited behind armoured glass.
"Danae" was painted by Rembrandt after the Ancient Greek myth which attracted attention of many artists. According to the legend an oracle forecasted Agamemnon Akrisae that he would die at the hands of his grandchild. Akrisae chambered his only daughter in the castle so nobody could see her beauty. But nobody can escape fate. Zeus saw Danae and fell in love with her. As golden rain he got into her chamber and they had a son Perseus who became a famous hero, a winner of Medusa Gorgona and founder of Mycenae. Angered Akrisae gave the order to put his daughter and grandson into a barrel and throw it into the sea. But they were rescued. The forecast of the oracle came true. Perseus took part in the competition for discus throwing in the country where his grandfather lived and with an inaccurate throw of the discus he killed Akrisae.
Several generations of historians and admirers of Rembrandt try to find out who was posing for Rembrandt for his Danae. And did he really paint Danae? If it was Danae where was Zeus in the image of golden rain. Danae should look up at the falling rain but her glance is directed to the front. Why is there a wedding ring on Danae's finger? is she Danae or a married woman? On the painting she even looks pregnant.
Danae was painted by Rembrandt when she was expecting her lover. You can see love in her happy eyes. Her right hand protects her from bright light but at the same time it looks like inviting. This painting shows the victory of love. Happiness is coming into her room and only a crying Eros above the bed reminds about her sad lonely days.
Rembrandt started to paint his Danae in 1636. He was already famous at that time. In 1633 he met Saskia and fell in love at first sight. Their feelings were mutual and they got married. It was a happy marriage and his wife was his favorite model. Their first baby lived for only a few months but they believed that fate would give them many healthy kids. With thoughts of hope for a son he started one of his best masterpieces. At that time they couldn't imagine that they would lose the second and the third kids and only the fourth would stay alive but would be the cause of death of his mother.
X-ray helped to answer some questions as it was discovered that initially the painting figure looked different. Her thighs were covered with cloth, the gesture of the right hand was not greeting and Danae had much in common with his Saskia.
Saskia died when she was 30 years old. Rembrandt's despair and sorrow was overwhelming. But he was a healthy and strong man and couldn't stand loneliness. He started a relation with Geertje Dircx, a baby - sitter of his son, Titus. Her own marriage was short and childless and she started working at the Rembrandt's house during Saskia's life.
So, why did Rembrandt change his masterpiece? The historians confirm that he did it after the scandal with Geertje who was jealous of his dead wife. After a fight he changed Danae's hair-style, facial expression, position of legs and arms and also the body lighting. Rembrandt and Dircx were together for another 4 years and he gave her Saskia's jewelry. But later their relation was dramatic. They had a maid Hendrickje Stoffels and the situation became very difficult. Rembrandt requested Geertje to make a will under which Titus would get his mother's jewelry to secure his future. Geertje saw that Rembrandt was fond of Hendrickje and pressured him to get married. But he refused and she applied to the Chamber of Family Conflicts blaming Rembrandt that he had sexual relations with her and promised to get married her but didn't keep his word. The evidence of his intentions was the granting of family jewelries. The Commission ordered him to pay her a huge annual compensation. But she went further and signed a document which brought the artist to bankruptcy and poverty.
The result of his bankruptcy was the sale of all his property including Danae. First it got into the collection of a famous collector Pierre Crozat and later was bought by Ekaterina II for the Hermitage.
They man who damaged Danae hardly knew Rembrandt's story and he told he had political reasons for destroying the masterpiece. He was considered a mental patient and was treated in a psychiatric hospital in Leningrad and later he was sent to Lithuania as he had Lithuanian citizenship. When Lithuania became an independent country they set him free.
We shall be obliged that this masterpiece was rescued and we can enjoy it nowadays although they say that the restored variant is not that shining as Rembrandt's version.