1550
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Dominant colour
Minerva nourishing Peace and Plenty is a 1550 by Agostino Carracci, depicting Aeneas, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This print shows three figures tangled in a dramatic scene. On the left, a woman with flowing hair holds a bowl and looks down, her body half-covered by a draped cloth. In the center, a muscular man in armor kneels, his head turned back as if in pain. To the right, another armored figure stands, holding a spear and gripping the kneeling man’s shoulder. The kneeling man’s armor is detailed, showing how metal plates fit over his body. The woman’s face is calm, but her posture suggests she’s holding back something heavy. This print is part of the collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
The engraving depicts Minerva shielding Peace and Plenty while thwarting Mars’s advances, after a composition by Tintoretto. The letters “A. C.” appear on a stone to the right, and the phrase “Sapientia Martem” is inscribed nearby. Printed on paper, the work translates classical allegory into graphic form.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Agostino Carracci ( kə-RAH-chee, UK also kə-RATCH-ee, Italian: ; also Caracci; 16 August 1557 – 22 March 1602) was an Italian painter, printmaker, tapestry designer, and art teacher.
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