DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.31769#0076
bloody event is the triumph of the virtue of humility,
embodied as Judith, over the vice of pride, which Holo-
fernes is sometimes taken to represent. 59 Here too, as in
Botticelli’s painting, virtue in the shape of a woman
triumphs over vice in the form of a man. Formal parallels
between the sculpture and the painting may not be due
to chance, but may be due to the fact that the two works
share the same theme, the triumph of virtue over vice.
Despite the fact that virtue is triumphant in this pic-
ture, Botticelli’s Mmerva does not at first appear to be an
energetic and dominating person. Instead she seems to
be looking out into the world somewhat dreamily. Her
right arm seems almost powerless, and she grasps the
centaur’s matted hair with tenderness rather than with
determination. Thus it is clear that feminine dominance
is by no means a consequence of bodily power and its
decisive application, but derives mstead from other
characteristics which Botticelli conveys to the viewer
with the help of decorative elements rich in symbolism.
Thus Minerva’s entire upper body, hair, and arms are
entwined with olive shoots as a symbol of feminine
virtue. The same meanmg is conveyed in the numerous
diamond rmgs on her dress and the over-sized diamond
at the top end of her halberd. Because of their indestruc-
tible hardness and crystalline clarity, diamonds were also
regarded as a symbol of virtue. Thus it is by her virtue
that the woman dominates the lasciviousness that she is
confronted with in the figure of the centaur; this is the
moral underlying the scene. At the same time, Minerva is
also portrayed as an ideal role model for the bride; this is
indicated by the symbolism of the diamond rmgs, a sym-
bol for the Medici family. Since the artist has covered the
dress of Minerva with symbols of the groom’s family,
this mdicates her as an ideal image for the bride. 60
75
embodied as Judith, over the vice of pride, which Holo-
fernes is sometimes taken to represent. 59 Here too, as in
Botticelli’s painting, virtue in the shape of a woman
triumphs over vice in the form of a man. Formal parallels
between the sculpture and the painting may not be due
to chance, but may be due to the fact that the two works
share the same theme, the triumph of virtue over vice.
Despite the fact that virtue is triumphant in this pic-
ture, Botticelli’s Mmerva does not at first appear to be an
energetic and dominating person. Instead she seems to
be looking out into the world somewhat dreamily. Her
right arm seems almost powerless, and she grasps the
centaur’s matted hair with tenderness rather than with
determination. Thus it is clear that feminine dominance
is by no means a consequence of bodily power and its
decisive application, but derives mstead from other
characteristics which Botticelli conveys to the viewer
with the help of decorative elements rich in symbolism.
Thus Minerva’s entire upper body, hair, and arms are
entwined with olive shoots as a symbol of feminine
virtue. The same meanmg is conveyed in the numerous
diamond rmgs on her dress and the over-sized diamond
at the top end of her halberd. Because of their indestruc-
tible hardness and crystalline clarity, diamonds were also
regarded as a symbol of virtue. Thus it is by her virtue
that the woman dominates the lasciviousness that she is
confronted with in the figure of the centaur; this is the
moral underlying the scene. At the same time, Minerva is
also portrayed as an ideal role model for the bride; this is
indicated by the symbolism of the diamond rmgs, a sym-
bol for the Medici family. Since the artist has covered the
dress of Minerva with symbols of the groom’s family,
this mdicates her as an ideal image for the bride. 60
75