BOTTICELLI, Sandro
(b. 1445, Firenze, d. 1510, Firenze)

Pallas

c. 1490
Pen and bistre over black chalkon a pink ground, 220 x 140 mm
Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence

The drawing is based on the same female figure as the Allegory of Abundance. The olive branch and the armor, the appearance of the latter can only be guessed at due to the way the paper has been trimmed, show her to be Pallas Athena, the classical goddess of the arts and sciences. The drawing was part of the design process for a tapestry which is now privately owned in France.