Did you know this masterpiece holds the faces of two different women and survived a devastating acid attack?
Dutch master Rembrandt painted the Greek princess Danae welcoming Zeus, who appears as a radiant shower of golden light. It perfectly captures his absolute mastery of light and shadow, with warm, sensuous tones filling the canvas.
But the story behind the paint is intensely personal. Rembrandt originally modeled Danae after his beloved wife, Saskia. Following her tragic death, he reworked the painting, changing the face to that of his new mistress. He even altered the Cupid above the bed from a laughing figure to a weeping one, uniting both women in a single, emotional tribute.
The artwork is a...