Jupiter Appearing to Danae as a Shower of Gold, from Johannes van Heemskerck's poem "Publii Ovidii Nasonis Minne-Kunst," probably the first edition of title, frontispiece and eleven plates
After David Vinckboons Netherlandish
Pieter Serwouters Netherlandish
Not on view
Although David Vinckboons made only three etchings himself his designs were the basis for more prints than any other Netherlandish artist in the early seventeen century. Among those were a set of book illustrations for Johannes van Heemskerck's poem "Publii Ovidii Nasonis Minne-Kunst." The prints are by Pieter Serwouters, who also made more than two dozen independent prints after Vinckboons. The multi-volume work was a translation and adaptation of "Ars Amorata" (The Art of Love) by the first century Roman poet Ovid. Some of the illustrations depict scenes from classical mythology while others appear to be generic examples of romantic situations or events.
Jupiter, the king of the gods, frequently changed form in order to seduce young women and nymphs. In one of the stranger transformations, he turns himself into pieces of gold and that fall onto Danae, a princess in Argos, imprisoned by her father. Danae is miraculously impregnated by the gold and bears Jupiter a son, the hero Perseus.
