REMBRANDT Harmenszoon van Rijn
(b. 1606, Leiden, d. 1669, Amsterdam)

Minerva in her Study

1635
Oil on canvas, 137 x 116 cm
The Leiden Collection, New York

Catalogue number: Bredius 469.

Minerva, or Pallas Athena, was originally the goddess of war, but since the Renaissance she has represented the intellectual aspect of science and art by virtue of her wisdom. Rembrandt's Minerva, painted at the height of his powers, is both eloquent and formidable.

This painting is part of a group of works depicting nearly life-size, half-length figures of goddesses and heroines from Antiquity which Rembrandt painted between 1633 and 1635. Included in this group are Bellona, Flora and Artemisia. We can observe in this series a search for a realistic way to represent the human body in space with the aid of light and shade.