Allegorical Figure

c. 1636

This object has related works. See

Bernardo Strozzi

(Italian, 1581?-1644)

Culture

Italy, 17th century

Medium

oil on canvas

Measurements

Framed: 178.5 x 133.5 x 12 cm (70 1/4 x 52 9/16 x 4 3/4 in.); Unframed: 145.8 x 99.8 cm (57 3/8 x 39 5/16 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of the Friends of The Cleveland Museum of Art 1929.133

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Location

217 Italian Baroque

Did You Know?

The preparatory drawing for this painting is also in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art (1953.626).

Description

During the 1630s, the Genoese artist Bernardo Strozzi painted a number of female figures representing various intellectual and artistic pursuits, reflecting the appeal of such allegories among learned patrons in northern Italy. Recent scholarship has convincingly identified the subject of this painting as Minerva. The Roman goddess of war has put aside her armor for more contemplative pursuits; her upward gaze—as if seeking inspiration—recalls her other associations with wisdom, eloquence, and the arts.