Lavinia Fontana's Minerva Conserved
March 31 2021
Picture: Galleria Borghese
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
News from Italy that the Galleria Borghese's Minerva Dressing by Lavinia Fontana has been conserved.
The painting had been kept in the gallery's stores for some time before the gallery's new director Francesca Cappelletti instigated an enhancement project of one of the gallery's rooms. Indeed, the project will see the recreation of the Camerino delle Veneri kept by Cardinal Scipione Borghese. The new room will be reopened to visitors after Easter, depending on the local lockdown of course.
Cappelletti is quoted explaining the way that Fontana depicted Minerva (goddess of wisdom and just war):
painted naked in an attitude typical of Venus, as if to say that a woman's beauty is not in contrast with talent . A very current message.
Ps. Did you know that you can book a private tour of the museum's storerooms? An intriguing initiative.
