Danaë

The Oracle of Delphi prophesied that King Acrisius of Argos would die at the hand of his daughter's son.

To prevent this, he imprisoned Danae in a 'bronze chamber'.

Zeus, however, approached her in the form of a golden shower and Perseus was conceived, who later killed his grandfather-albeit accidentally.

In the Middle Ages the literary material was seen as a reference to the Annunciation.

Gossaert was one of the first artists to rekindle the original erotic content of this subject.