Danaë and Perseus on Seriphos(?)

Henry Fuseli was attracted to imaginative and eccentric literary themes. Although the subject of this painting remains uncertain, its composition is connected to two drawings by the artist that illustrate the story of Danaë and her infant son Perseus, who were set adrift in a chest by Acrisius, Danaë’s father. The figure riding a chariot in the background at the right may be Poseidon, who, following Zeus’s command, brought mother and child to safety on the island of Seriphos. The dagger in the foreground remains unexplained, and its presence underscores the mysterious nature of Fuseli’s imagery.