Gender, Legends and Art Athena Minerva

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Gender, Legends and Art Athena - Minerva

• Vesa Matteo Piludu

University of Helsinki Department of Art Research
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The goddess Athene is birthed from the skull of
Zeus

• The goddess Athene is birthed from the skull of
  Zeus. The god sits on a crane-backed chair,
  holding a lightning bolt in his left hand.
• Two Eileithyiai, goddesses of childbirth, stand
  on either side with arms raised to release the
  child.
• To the left is Hermes with his herald wand, and
  Hephaistos (or Prometheus) stepping away with the
  axe used to split open the head of the god.

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Athena Parthenos. Statuette of Roman date
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Athena and Perseus
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Athene battles an armed warrior

• Athene battles an armed warrior, probably Ares or
  else one of the Gigantes. The goddess is shown
  with shield, spear, helm and aigis cloak.

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A comical depiction of the owl of Athene

• A comical depiction of the owl of Athene. The
  little bird wears a crested helm and wields in
  its human-like arms and hands a spear and shield.
  It advances towards an olive frond.

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Athena and Marsyas. Reconstruction of a lost
bronze group from Acropolis
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Botticelli Minerva and the Centaur
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Athena conquering Ignorance c.1593. Painting by
Bartholomäus Spranger 1546-1611
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Pallas Athena visits Envy, 1652. Painting by
Karel Dujardin 1626-1678
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1512 Garofaldo. Poseidon and Athena
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1826 Zeus giving birth to Athena