Feminae: Medieval Women and Gender Index



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  • Title: Pallas and the Centaur
  • Creator: Botticelli, Sandro, painter
  • Description: An allegory of the victory of chastity over lust. Pallas was the virginal goddess of wisdom and centaurs were notorious for their lust. Here, the goddess holds the centaur by the hair, preventing him from reaching for his arrows. The interlocking rings on Pallas’s gown are a symbol of the Medici family.
  • Source: Wikimedia Commons
  • Rights: Public domain
  • Subject (See Also): Athena, Ancient Diety Classical Influences Medici, Florentine Family Mythology Sexuality
  • Geographic Area: Italy
  • Century: 15
  • Date: ca. 1482
  • Related Work: Possible companion piece to Botticelli’s Primavera: http://www.googleartproject.com/museums/uffizi/la-primavera-spring-67
  • Current Location: Florence, Uffizi Gallery
  • Original Location: Palace of Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de' Medici (also known as il Popolano)
  • Artistic Type (Category): Digital images; Paintings
  • Artistic Type (Material/Technique): Temper; Canvas
  • Donor: Layman; Lorenzo (Magnifico) de' Medici, uncle of Lorenzo il Popolano (commissioned as a wedding present for his nephew Lorenzo)
  • Height/Width/Length(cm): 148 cm/ 58.3"/207 cm/ 81.5"/
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