An artwork on Galleree from Minneapolis Institute of Art.
About the artwork
Portrait of Mlle. Lange as Danae1799
Artist: Anne-Louis Girodet de Roussy-Trioson
French, 1767–1824
Portrait. Mythology. History. Oval.
23 3/4 x 19 1/8 in. (60.33 x 48.58 cm) (sight, oval)
30 3/8 x 25 3/4 x 3 1/8 in. (77.15 x 65.41 x 7.94 cm) (outer frame)
Oil on canvas
Painting
France
18th century
The William Hood Dunwoody Fund
In the dim glow of the Paris Salon, a controversial narrative unfolded—a tale woven with beauty, betrayal, and revenge. At the heart of it was Miss Lange, an actress who dazzled audiences not just with her talent, but also with her striking allure and the wealthy men who vied for her affections. She was a figure of envy, perched on the pedestal of fame and fortune, masking the deeper complexities that lurked beneath.
Not long before this fateful confrontation at the salon, a different portrait had been created by the skilled hand of Girodet. Yet, Miss Lange found that work unsatisfactory. To her eyes, it was unflattering—a reflection not of the dazzling visage she wished to portray, but rather a glimpse into a soul marred by vice. Angry at the unease the painting brought her, she refused to pay for it, her voice echoing through the halls of the gallery when she demanded it be shrouded from public view. But misshaping her image would come at a cost.
Girodet, a man of artistic prowess yet equally fueled by human emotions, did not take this slight lightly. Within the depths of his frustration, he conjured up another creation—not one of adoration, but of satire, a piercing commentary on the beauty that belied Miss Lange’s character. In this new portrait, he transformed her into Danae, the figure from Greek mythology who fell prey to the god Zeus, that celebrated figure of love who turned himself into a cascade of gold. In that vividly painted moment, Miss Lange is captured greedily catching the shimmering coins, a striking allegory of her perceived avarice.
The colors on the canvas burst with significance, every detail sharpened with scathing intent. A turkey, adorned with the glint of a wedding ring, served as the emblem of a fortune-hunting lover—the man she had married for wealth, a choice cloaked in the guise of romance. And then there was the cracked mirror amidst the imagery; it symbolized Miss Lange's failure to perceive herself in the way Girodet envisioned—a woman ensnared by vanity, entangled in infidelity, her greed betraying the canvases of her heart.
Through the eye of the beholder, this audacious painting did not just capture a face but starkly revealed the soul's hidden layers. It stood as a testament not only to the artist’s bitterness but a poignant reflection on the fragility of perception, the weight of beauty, and the stories that dwell within the confines of a painted frame.
About the artist
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