Danae 

Léon François Comerre painted "Danae" with oil on canvas, a medium that allows for lush colors and soft gradations of light. Notice the contrast between the meticulous rendering of Danae’s body, and the loose application of paint for the shower of gold. Comerre was part of the academic tradition, and the way he used the qualities of the paint reflects this. The smooth surfaces and idealized form are achieved through layering, blending, and glazing, masking the labor involved. But consider the sheer abundance of the gold – not actual gold, of course, but oil paint, industrially manufactured and readily available. Here, it rains down with almost comical excess. The canvas, too, is a product of industry. These materials, created through complex systems of labor and consumption, find themselves in service of a classical myth. So even as Comerre seeks to transport us to an ancient world, he grounds us in the material reality of his own. This painting is not just an image, but an object deeply embedded in its time.