The painting by the Flemish painter Bartholomeus Spranger “Minerva, the winner of Ignorance”. The size of the painting is 163 x 117 cm, canvas, oil. The picture is written as an allegory of mythological themes, has a different name, “Athena, as the winner of Ignorance.” Minerva, the Italian goddess of wisdom, corresponds to the Greek Athena-Pallas.
In Rome, in ancient times, Minerva was considered a warlike goddess of lightning, as indicated by the gladiatorial games of Quinquatria during the main feast in her honor. But mostly Roman Minerva was honored as a patroness and partly an inventor of crafts and arts.
She patronizes sherstobits, shoemakers, doctors, teachers, sculptors, poets and, in particular, musicians; she teaches, teaches and guides women in all their work. Minerva was usually portrayed in armor and helmet with a spear in hand or with an owl in one hand and a snake in the other. The owl is a symbol of night reflections, and the snake is a symbol of wisdom.
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