Minerva

This is early work by a painter still known as Baccio della Porta, made in Florence around 1490 when he was barely out of his teens. Minerva, the Roman goddess of war and wisdom, steps out of a stone niche in helmet and armour, a Medusa head on her shield. It probably belonged to a set of famous women painted for a private room, and it pairs with a Porcia now in the Uffizi. Within a few years the painter fell under the sway of the preacher Savonarola, who was burning luxuries and profane pictures in the streets of Florence. Around 1500 Baccio took Dominican vows, became known as Fra Bartolomeo, and set painting aside for several years.