Athena Shrine

Phineus turned into Stone and Minerva visiting the Muses Pl. from Ovid's Metamorphosis Englished Mythologized and Represented in Figures, Tanslated by George Sandys. Image from the 1640 Edition. Engraved by Francisco Cleyn (and etched by Salomon Savery) for Book V of George Sandys's 1632/1640 edition of Ovid's Metamorphosis Englished, Mythologiz'd, and Represented in Figures , this copperplate engraving visually synthesizes multiple narrative threads from Ovid’s epic into a single composite landscape. In the immediate foreground, the banquet hall erupts into chaos as Phineus and his armed followers crash the wedding feast of Perseus and Andromeda. Outnumbered, Perseus unveils the Gorgon’s head, dramatically turning Phineus and his conspirators into rigid stone statues mid-attack. In the upper background, the narrative shifts to a serene, mountainous realm where Minerva (wearing her helmet and carrying a sp...

Perseus turning the Followers of Phineus into Stone Oil on canvas. Previously attributed to Nicolas Poussin before being reclassified as an anonymous French or Flemish school work, c. 1650. National Gallery NG83, London. Housed at the National Gallery in London (NG83), Perseus turning the Followers of Phineus into Stone depicts a violent climax from Ovid’s Metamorphoses . Once attributed to the French classicist Nicolas Poussin before being reclassified as an anonymous 17th-century French or Flemish school work, the painting captures the chaotic wedding banquet of Perseus and Andromeda. When Andromeda's aggrieved uncle Phineus crashes the feast to reclaim her by force, an outnumbered Perseus unfurls his ultimate weapon: the severed head of Medusa. At the center of the fray, the hero raises the Gorgoneion, immediately halting the attackers in mid-stride. The composition dynamically contrasts the fluid, furious energy ...

Perseus armed by Mercury and Minerva Painted by Paris Bordone, 1545–1555. Birmingham Museum of Art, Alabama. Painted by Venetian Renaissance master Paris Bordone between 1545 and 1555, Perseus Armed by Mercury and Minerva depicts the crucial moment of divine preparation before the hero confronts Medusa. At the center stands Perseus in gleaming steel cuirass and crimson drapery, flanked closely by his celestial patrons. Minerva (Athena), wearing a crested helmet and dark armor, fastens a reflective shield and strap onto his shoulder, while Mercury (Hermes), seen from behind with his signature winged helmet ( petasos ) and caduceus, reaches up to assist in equipping him. Typical of Bordone's mature Mannerist style, the composition features rich Venetian colorism, shimmering metallic textures, and a monumental, three-quarter cropped arrangement that draws the viewer directly into the quiet intensity of divine investitur...

Perseus fleeing after slaying the Gorgon Medusa Attic red-figure hydria (water jar). Pan Painter, c. 460–470 BCE. British Museum 1873,0820.352, London. Attributed to the Pan Painter around 470–460 BCE, this Attic red-figure hydria housed at the British Museum depicts the chaotic, immediate aftermath of Medusa's decapitation. At the center, the winged, headless Gorgon collapses to the ground, propping herself up on her fingertips as a stream of blood gushes from her neck. To the left, Perseus flees with theatrical urgency, wearing his winged cap ( kyne ) and winged sandals ( talaria ), looking back in trepidation while holding his jagged sickle-sword ( harpe ) and the magical satchel ( kibisis ), from which Medusa’s severed head peek out with closed eyes. To the right, a majestic Athena strides forward clad in a snake-fringed aegis and tall helmet, raising her skirt and spear to shield the hero from pursuit. Characte...

The stalk of the sleeping Medusa Red-Figure Hydria. Nausicaa Painter, c. 450 BCE. Virginia Museum of Fine Arts 62.1.1, Richmond. Attributed to the Nausicaa Painter around 450–440 BCE, this Attic red-figure hydria housed at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts captures the tense moment preceding Perseus’s defeat of Medusa. Under the protective supervision of Athena and Hermes, Perseus quietly stalks the sleeping Gorgon, holding the curved sickle-sword ( harpe ) in one hand and the magical satchel ( kibisis ) in the other to conceal her deadly head. Rather than depicting Medusa as a grotesque, fanged monster typical of earlier Archaic art, the Nausicaa Painter renders her as a beautiful, slumbering figure—a hallmark of the Classical Greek shift toward humanizing mythic tragedy. To the far left sits a bearded monarch, traditionally identified as King Acrisius, whose quiet observation frames Perseus’s heroic feat within his broad...

Athena's Epiphany Bulfinch's Mythology, The Age of Fable, Chapter XIV, Minerva Niobe. Source: Ovid's Metamorphoses, Book VI, Pallas et Arachne, lines 1-137. Drawing by Jean-Jacques-François Le Barbier, 1796. Jean-Jacques-François Le Barbier’s late 18th-century illustration vividly captures the revelation of Athena's divinity during her confrontation with Arachne, as narrated in Ovid’s Metamorphoses . The composition focuses on the dramatic contrast of reactions when the disguised old woman drops her cloak to reveal her true form as the majestic, helmeted goddess of wisdom and craft. Surrounding nymphs and onlookers immediately drop to their knees or veil their faces in awe and piety, acknowledging the divine epiphany. In contrast, Arachne remains standing beside her spinning tools, her posture marked by defiant stubbornness and anger rather than repentance, refusing to yield even as the living manifestation of t...

Minerva and Arachne Engravings by Johannes Baur, 1703. The Metamorphoses by Ovid. Bk VI: 1-145. Johann Wilhelm Baur’s engraving (published in Samuel Garth’s 1703 translation of Ovid’s Metamorphoses ) captures the dramatic prelude to the famous weaving contest: the moment Minerva sheds her disguise as an old woman to reveal her divine majesty before Arachne. Set within a palatial classical interior, the composition contrasts the seated, defiant mortal weaver at her loom with the goddess, who erupts into the room enveloped in celestial light. Baur highlights Arachne’s audacity—unawed by the sudden epiphany of divine power, she remains steadfast in her challenge, her posture reflecting the fateful pride that prevents her from begging for grace before the contest even begins. Spiritually and symbolically, Baur’s work serves as an allegory of the tension between sacred divine wisdom and profane human ego. Minerva’s r...

Athena strikes Arachne Bulfinch's Mythology, The Age of Fable, Chapter XIV, Minerva Niobe. Source: Ovid's Metamorphoses, Book VI, Pallas et Arachne, lines 214-244. Engraving from 1677. The 1677 engraving depicting the climax of Ovid’s myth captures the dramatic moment when Minerva (Athena), enraged by Arachne’s insolent tapestry portraying the indiscretions of the gods, tears the loom apart and strikes the mortal weaver. In alignment with Thomas Bulfinch's retelling, the visual composition translates the sudden collapse of human presumption into overwhelming guilt and terror. As Minerva touches Arachne's forehead, the artwork emphasizes the psychological turning point of the myth: Arachne is consumed by an unbearable sense of shame that drives her to hang herself, only for Minerva to intervene with a cursed act of pity. Through dynamic Baroque motion and stark tonal contrast, the engraver captures the precise ...

Judgment of Paris Oil on panel. Rubens, 1638-1639. Prado Museum P01669, Madrid. Peter Paul Rubens’s The Judgment of Paris (1638–1639), held in the Prado Museum in Madrid (P01669), represents one of the artist's final and most refined treatments of this famous myth, painted near the end of his life for King Philip IV of Spain. Executed in oil on panel, the work exemplifies Rubens's late Baroque style, characterized by soft, ethereal brushwork, luminous skin tones, and a rich, harmonic color palette. The composition presents Paris pondering his choice while Mercury holds the golden apple, flanked by the three competing goddesses—Juno accompanied by her peacock, Venus shielded by Cupid, and Minerva beside her armor. While the idyllic landscape radiates warmth and sensuality, Rubens subtly incorporates a dark cloud above with the Fury Alecto, silently introducing a sense of foreboding that connects Paris's seduct...

Judgment of Paris Oil on wood. Peter Paul Rubens, 1632-1635. National Gallery NG194, London. Peter Paul Rubens’s The Judgement of Paris (c. 1632–1635), housed in the National Gallery in London (NG194), is a masterpiece of Baroque storytelling that translates classical mythology into a scene of sensual warmth and lingering tension. Set against a idyllic, sunlit pastoral landscape, the painting captures the pivotal moment when the shepherd-prince Paris presents the golden apple to Venus, declaring her the most beautiful of the goddesses over Juno and Minerva. Guided by Mercury and surrounded by subtle iconography—such as Minerva’s shield reflecting Medusa and Cupid standing beside his mother—Rubens showcases his unparalleled mastery of the human form, light, and texture. However, the soft atmospheric beauty is intentionally undercut by the dark, gathering storm clouds above and the shadowy presence of the Fury Alecto, sign...

Judgment of Paris Oil on panel. Peter Paul Rubens, 1632-1633. Old Masters Gallery, State Art Collections, Dresden. Peter Paul Rubens’s The Judgment of Paris (c. 1632–1633), housed in the Old Masters Gallery in Dresden, captures the pivotal mythic moment where the Trojan prince Paris awards the golden apple to Venus, declaring her the most beautiful among the goddesses. Painted in rich oil on panel, the artwork showcases Rubens's signature Baroque dynamism—evidenced by the fluid compositions, luminous flesh tones, and the dramatic transition from Mercury ordering Minerva, Juno, and Venus to disrobe, to the decisive moment of choice. With Mercury watching intently behind Paris and the terrifying Fury Alecto looming overhead in the dark clouds, Rubens infuses a classic tale of vanity and temptation with an unmistakable sense of impending tragedy, foreshadowing the devastating Trojan War that Paris’s fateful decision would ...

Judgment of Paris Oil on wood. Joachim Wtewael, 1615. National Gallery NG6334, London. Joachim Wtewael’s The Judgment of Paris (1615), housed in the National Gallery in London, is a quintessential example of Dutch Dutch Mannerism, celebrated for its intricate composition, vibrant palette, and virtuosic handling of figures. Set within a lush, theatrical forest landscape, the Trojan prince Paris sits at the center wearing a bright red cloak, extending the golden apple to Venus, who stands alongside Juno and Minerva. Wtewael fills every corner of the small oak panel with animated details—playful putti crowning Venus, grazing livestock, hovering deities, and even a distant feast of the gods in the background. The figures are arranged in stylized, elegant poses that display the nude form from various vantage points, highlighting Wtewael’s characteristic refinement and mastery of complex spatial arrangements. Symboli...

Judgment of Paris Oil on wood. Peter Paul Rubens, c. 1597-1599. National Gallery NG6379, London. Peter Paul Rubens’s early masterpiece The Judgment of Paris (c. 1597–1599), housed in the National Gallery in London, captures the decisive moment of classical mythology when the Trojan prince Paris presents the golden apple to Venus. Painted early in Rubens’s career before his crucial formative journey to Italy, the work displays strong Northern Mannerist influences combined with dynamic Venetian colorism. Paris sits on the left under the guidance of Mercury, extending the prize toward Venus, who occupies the luminous center of the canvas flanked by Juno and Minerva. Rubens arranges the three goddesses to show the female nude from three distinct angles—front, three-quarters, and back—transforming a dramatic mythical dispute into a rich study of anatomical form, glowing light, and tactile flesh tones. Symbolically a...

Judgment of Queen Elizabeth I Elizabeth I and the Three Goddesses. Hans Eworth, 1569. Royal Collection, Hampton Court Palace, London. Hans Eworth’s Elizabeth I and the Three Goddesses (1569), housed at Hampton Court Palace, ingeniously subverts the classic myth of the Judgment of Paris to serve political and dynastic propaganda. In this vibrant Tudor panel, Queen Elizabeth I stands outside Windsor Castle holding the orb of state, effectively replacing Paris as the arbiter. However, rather than forcing her to choose between the three goddesses—Juno, Minerva, and Venus—the painting portrays the divine trio fleeing or submitting in astonishment before the Queen. Juno loses her shoe in haste, Minerva stares in awe, and Venus sits humbled beside Cupid. Framed by an inscription detailing the Tudor line, the artwork visually asserts Elizabeth’s absolute political legitimacy, her triumph over classical ideals, and the peace and ...

Judgment of Paris Juan de Juanes, c. 1555-1565. Civic Museums and Galleries of History and Art, Udine, Italy. Juan de Juanes’s The Judgment of Paris (c. 1555–1565), preserved in the Civic Museums and Galleries of History and Art in Udine, presents a captivating Spanish Renaissance synthesis of classical mythology and Italianate High Mannerism. Influenced by Raphael and Leonardo da Vinci, Juanes frames the famous myth of Paris deciding among Juno, Minerva, and Venus within a harmonious, idealized landscape under a glowing sky. The shepherd prince Paris, accompanied by Mercury, is depicted at the pivotal moment of handing the golden apple to Venus, whose sensual presence dominates the ideal arrangement. Juanes’s polished execution, soft sfumato, and balanced compositional structure elevate the classical story, blending dramatic narrative tension with a refined Renaissance courtly elegance. Symbolically and spirituall...

Judgment of Paris Oil painting. Ippolito Scarsella (Scarsellino), 1590-1595. Uffizi Galleries, Florence. Ippolito Scarsella’s (known as Scarsellino) Judgment of Paris (c. 1590–1595) presents a distinctly intimate, late-Mannerist interpretation of the iconic myth, prioritizing a soft, pastoral realism over grand classical idealization. Instead of elevating Paris as an heroic prince, Scarsellino leaves him partially cast in shadow on the left, turning the viewer's focus toward the minute, familiar details of daily life and a grounded natural landscape. The central myth—wherein Paris awards the golden apple to Venus over Juno and Minerva—is framed within a delicate, atmospheric rural environment characteristic of the Ferrarese school. By dampening the sinuous, grandiose postures of the divine figures in favor of a warm, everyday naturalism, the artist translates a majestic mythological event into a surprisingly human an...

Judgment of Paris Painted by Girolamo Benvenuto, c. 1500. Louvre MI 587, Paris. Girolamo Benvenuto’s Judgment of Paris (c. 1500) offers a delicate Sienese Renaissance interpretation of the famous mythological beauty contest, setting the scene within a quiet, atmospheric landscape. In this panel, Paris is seated on the left beneath the hovering figure of Eros, while the three goddesses stand before him on the right: Venus, goddess of love; Minerva, holding a book; and Juno, representing majesty and wealth. Unlike the Northern, medievalized dream-interpretations of the myth, Benvenuto’s classicizing Italian approach emphasizes grace and distinct iconography. By equipping Minerva with a book, the artist clearly distinguishes her intellectual sphere from Juno’s worldly status and Venus’s sensual allure, creating a visual balance between human agency, divine intervention, and the clear-cut options presented to the Trojan prin...

Judgment of Paris Oil on panel. Lucas Cranach the Elder, c. 1512–14. Kimbell Art Museum AP 2004.03, Texas. Lucas Cranach the Elder’s The Judgment of Paris (c. 1512–14) reimagines classical mythology through a distinctly Northern Renaissance lens, drawing heavily from Guido delle Colonne’s 13th-century medieval text, Historia Destructionis Troiae . Rather than setting the scene in ancient Greece, Cranach depicts the Trojan prince Paris clad in contemporary German armor, resting against a tree after losing his way during a hunt. In this dream state, he is visited by Mercury, who presents three nearly indistinguishable, delicately posed nude goddesses—Juno, Minerva, and Venus. By rendering the figures with subtle, alluring variations rather than explicit traditional attributes, Cranach intentionally teases both Paris and the viewer, transforming the myth into an agonizing psychological dilemma where surface beauty masks a m...

Judgment of Paris Red-figure pelike. Marsyas Painter, 340-330 BCE. National Museum, Athens. The red-figure pelike attributed to the Marsyas Painter (circa 340–330 BCE), preserved in the National Archaeological Museum of Athens, masterfully depicts the crucial mythic moment of the Judgment of Paris . Seated introspectively on a rock atop Mount Ida and clad in rich Phrygian attire, Paris is depicted at the precipice of a momentous choice that will spark the Trojan War. Beside him, a diminutive winged Eros hovers encouragingly, symbolizing the alluring yet disruptive force of passion, while Hermes stands near as the divine guide who escorted the goddesses. In the adjacent scene, Athena sits resolutely in her helmet with her shield by her side, embodying wisdom, strategic warfare, and noble restraint in contrast to the impending chaotic decision. Beyond its narrative depiction, the vase carries profound symbolic and ...

Judgment of Paris Painter of the Carlsruhe Paris, c. 400 BCE. Badisches Landesmuseum 259, Karlsruhe. This vase painting by the Painter of the Carlsruhe Paris (c. 400 BCE) offers a late classical, highly theatrical dynamic depiction of the Judgment of Paris. Unlike earlier rigid compositions, the artist discards the traditional ground-line to place figures at varying heights across the vase, successfully creating a striking illusion of spatial depth and atmosphere. At the center of the scene sits Paris, distinct in his ornate oriental garb, with a small Eros leaning intimately on his shoulder as Hermes presents the dilemma before him. Surrounding this pivotal moment is an expansive divine audience: Hera and Athena stand on one side, Aphrodite sits on the other attended by another Eros, while Zeus—holding his scepter and thunderbolt—and the Muses observe from above. Framing the entire cosmic moment, Eris (Strife) peers over...

Judgment of Paris Drawing after an red-figure kylix. Attic red-figure kylix by Makron (painter) and Hieron (potter), 6th century BCE. Collection of Classical Antiquities of the National Museums, F 2291. Berlin. This drawing reproduces a scene from an Attic red-figure kylix crafted by the potter Hieron and painted by the master Makron (6th–5th century BCE), depicting the iconic myth of the Judgment of Paris. On the far left, Paris (labeled Alexandros ) is shown resting peacefully in a pastoral setting among his father's grazing herd, holding a lyre. He is approached by Hermes, clad in his chiton and winged sandals, who acts as the divine guide leading the three major goddesses into Paris's presence. Following Hermes is Athena, recognizable by her helmet, spear, and snake-fringed aegis; behind her stands Hera holding a regal scepter, followed by Aphrodite, who is subtly veiled, accompanied by fluttering Erotes, and h...

Judgment of Paris Attic red figure hydria. Attributed to the Painter of the Yale Oinochoe, c. 470 BCE. British Museum E 178 and 1873,0820.353, London. This Early Classical Attic red-figure hydria—attributed to the Painter of the Yale Oinochoe (c. 470 BCE) and housed in the British Museum (E 178 / 1873,0820.353)—presents an unusually serene and intimate rendering of the Judgement of Paris . Resting on the rocky slope of Mount Ida with a pastoral ram at his feet, a young, beardless Paris plays the chelys (lyre) in a moment of tranquil isolation. Rather than being escorted by Hermes, the three rival deities approach him directly in single file: Hera leads the way wearing a decorated sakkos and extending the Golden Apple while holding her royal scepter; Athena follows, adorned with her snake-fringed aegis and spear; and Aphrodite brings up the rear, draped gracefully in her mantle. The artist’s composition captures the quiet,...

Judgment of Paris Hydria (a water jug). Painter of Berlin 2536, 440-430 BCE. Antikensammlung Berlin, Inventory Number F 2536, Beazley Archive n.º 217284, Berlin. This Classical Attic red-figure hydria—crafted by the Painter of Berlin 2536 around 440–430 BCE and housed in the Antikensammlung Berlin (F 2536 / Beazley Archive No. 217284)—captures a refined High Classical representation of the Judgement of Paris . Seated in thoughtful contemplation upon a throne set between architectural columns, a bearded Paris holds a scepter as he awaits the divine delegation. Guided by Hermes, the three goddesses arrive in a structured procession: Aphrodite gently cradles a small winged Eros, Athena stands distinguished in her snaky aegis while holding her helmet, and Hera follows in third place. Through balanced spatial organization and delicate draftsmanship, the composition conveys the quiet tension inherent in this crucial mythic crossr...

Judgment of Paris Attic black-figure hydria. Antimenes Painter, c. 510 BCE. State Collections of Antiquities, 1722 (SL 37), Munich. Attributed to the Antimenes Painter around 510 BCE, this Attic black-figure hydria (water jar), preserved in Munich’s State Collections of Antiquities (Inv. 1722), depicts one of the most consequential episodes in Greek mythology: the Judgment of Paris. In the main narrative scene, the messenger god Hermes leads a solemn, rhythmic procession of the three Olympian goddesses—Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite—toward the Trojan prince Paris, who is tasked with deciding which deity is the most beautiful. Executed during the Late Archaic period, the vase demonstrates the mastery of the black-figure technique through precise incised detailing, silhouette framing, and iconographic attributes, such as Hermes’s kerykeion (caduceus) and Athena's divine armor, turni...

Hermes Leading the Goddesses Workshop of Nearchus Painter, c. 560 BCE. Rendered in the Attic black-figure style attributed to the Workshop of the Nearchus Painter (c. 560 BCE), the central band of this vessel captures a solemn mythic procession. On the left, three elegantly draped goddesses—conventionally identified as Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite—stand in a rigid, profile formation, wearing intricately patterned peploi adorned with geometric motifs while holding stylized lotus shoots. Leading the procession is the herald god, Hermes, depicted in active motion wearing a winged cap ( petasos ), a short chiton, and boots while holding his signature caduceus ( kerykeion ) aloft. He directs the divine triad toward a stately, bearded figure on the right, clad in an embroidered cloak and holding a staff. The entire scene is framed by vertical ivy-leaf borders and a shoulder frieze featuring panthers and birds, showcasing th...

Judgment of Paris Ivory relief, comb from Sparta, c. 600 BCE. L. 8 cm. (drawing, after Hampe 1954, pl. 11.1). National Museum 507, Athens. This early Archaic ivory comb carving (c. 600 BCE), discovered at the Sanctuary of Artemis Orthia in Sparta, offers one of the earliest depictions of the Judgment of Paris in Greek art. In the relief, a bearded and enthroned Paris sits at the left, extending his hand toward three approaching goddesses who appear in a ceremonial procession. The divinity on the far right is likely Hera, holding a bird (her sacred cuckoo or a dove) on her outstretched hand. She is followed by Athena, who wears a tall helmet, and Aphrodite, who is accompanied by a water bird, likely a goose or swan. The stylized geometric borders framing the top and bottom of the scene reflect the Orientalizing Laconian aesthetic, characterized by simple profile silhouettes and rhythmic patterns carved into luxury imported iv...

The combat of Minerva and Mars Joseph-Benoît Suvée, 1771. Palais des Beaux-Arts, Lille. Painted in 1771 by the Flemish-born French artist Joseph-Benoît Suvée, The Combat of Minerva and Mars ( Combat de Minerve contre Mars ) is the famed Neoclassical canvas that unexpectedly won first prize at the Académie Royale's prestigious Prix de Rome, famously defeating Jacques-Louis David's entry of the same subject. Housed in the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Lille, the composition captures the dramatic climax of Homer's Iliad where Minerva, goddess of wisdom and strategic defense, strikes down Mars, the god of reckless, bloodthirsty war. Suvée depicts Minerva poised dynamically in mid-air, spear poised, while a wounded Mars lies vanquished below, tended to by a distressed Venus. The scene balances the fluid elegance of late Rococo colorism with the disciplined clarity and heroic structure of early Neoclassicism, emphasizi...

The Combat of Mars and Minerva Jacques-Louis David, 1771. Louvre, Paris. Painted in 1771 by a young Jacques-Louis David for the prestigious Prix de Rome competition, The Combat of Mars and Minerva ( Combat de Mars et de Minerve ) is a theatrical, late-Rococo masterpiece housed in the Louvre, Paris. Drawing inspiration from Homer's Iliad , the painting depicts the fierce clash between Mars, the god of brutal war, and Minerva, the goddess of wisdom and righteous defense. David captures the decisive climax of their duel: Mars lies defeated and sprawled on the ground, his weapon cast aside, while Venus descends on a cloud to intervene on his behalf. Minerva stands dominant in gleaming armor, her spear raised with authoritative power, representing disciplined strategy overpowering blind violence amidst a turbulent, cloud-strewn battlefield. Symbolically and spiritually, the painting serves as an allegory of intellec...

Self Portrait by Francesco de Mura Francesco de Mura, about 1740. The Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Minneapolis. Painted around 1740 by the Neapolitan Rococo master Francesco de Mura, Self-Portrait in the Minneapolis Institute of Art is a monumental statement of self-fashioning and artistic pride. Liberated from client demands, de Mura presents himself as an aristocratic gentleman of means and intellect, dressed in an embroidered waistcoat, velvet jacket, and a powdered wig against an opulent backdrop of colossal columns, billowing drapery, and a gilded marble table. In his hands and on his portfolio, he prominently displays his drawing instruments alongside a red chalk sketch of Minerva, the goddess of wisdom and protectress of the arts. By highlighting disegno (drawing) over the physical labor of painting, he asserts that art is fundamentally a cerebral, noble endeavor rather than a mere manual craft. Symbo...

The Glorification of Minerva Urbanus Leyniers (1674-1747); Daniel Leyniers de Jonge (1669-1728); and Hendrik Reydams (1650-1719), after Jan van Orley (1665-1735) and Augustin Coppens (1668-1740). Museum of Fine Arts, Ghent. Woven in Brussels during the early 18th century and now preserved in the Museum of Fine Arts, Ghent, The Glorification of Minerva is a monumental tapestry crafted by master weavers Urbanus Leyniers, Daniel Leyniers de Jonge, and Hendrik Reydams. Based on designs ( cartoons ) created by the prominent narrative painter Jan van Orley and landscape specialist Augustin Coppens, the tapestry illustrates the Roman goddess of wisdom enthroned in classical splendor. Minerva is surrounded by allegorical figures, winged victory spirits, and personifications of the liberal arts, all set within a sweeping, light-filled landscape featuring lush foliage and classical architecture that demonstrates the grand, ornamental ...