Lost wax bronze casting.

The Minerva by Benvenuto Cellini is part of the four statuettes at the base of the Perseus statue, situated under the Loggia dei Lanzi in Piazza della Signoria, realized between 1545-1554, and commissioned by Cosimo de Medici.
Minerva is the greek goddess who donates to Perseus the shining shield trough which he manages to kill the Gorgone Medusa.
Infact the legend stated that who would have looked straight in the eyes of Medusa, would have remained petrified by the gaze of her.
Thanks to the lucid and magnificent shield Minerva gives to Persues, the Gorgone Medusa cannot avoid looking at her own reflection on the shield and is petrified by her own look.

The cast from which derives the lost wax bronze casting has directly been performed on the original one and it is today still preserved in the collection of the Artistic Foundry by Ferdinando Marinelli.

Material

Bronze

Size

H. 104 cm x L. 30 cm

Weight

25 kg

CODE

BRM0039

Minerva Benvenuto Cellini renaissance full figure classic goddess myth greek roman Florence Florentia female