{"id":125571,"date":"2026-05-25T11:30:36","date_gmt":"2026-05-25T09:30:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cini.it\/?post_type=cini_events&p=125571"},"modified":"2026-05-28T10:52:58","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T08:52:58","slug":"a-guest-at-the-palace-minerva-infuses-the-soul-into-the-human-figure-modeled-in-clay-by-prometheus-by-pompeo-girolamo-batoni","status":"publish","type":"cini_events","link":"https:\/\/www.cini.it\/en\/eventi\/a-guest-at-the-palace-minerva-infuses-the-soul-into-the-human-figure-modeled-in-clay-by-prometheus-by-pompeo-girolamo-batoni\/","title":{"rendered":"A Guest at the Palace | Minerva Infuses the Soul into the Human Figure Modeled in Clay by Prometheus by Pompeo Batoni"},"content":{"rendered":"

On the occasion of the opening season of the Galleria di Palazzo Cini at San Vio<\/a>, the new \u201cguest at the Palace\u201d is the picture Minerva Infuses the Soul into the Human Figure Modeled in Clay by Prometheus<\/em> by Pompeo Girolamo Batoni<\/strong> (Lucca, 1708 \u2013 Rome, 1787), dating from between 1740 and 1743. The work, which explores the theme of the genesis of life through a subject never before treated in painting, was conceived starting from the classical iconography of a group of Roman sarcophagi depicting the myth of Prometheus. It is the work of one of the most celebrated artists of eighteenth-century Italy, of whom only rare examples exist in Venice, and represents an important testament to Batoni\u2019s passion for mythological subjects, as well as a remarkable achievement of his early maturity.<\/p>\n

The exhibition, organized by the Giorgio Cini Foundation\u2019s Institute of Art History, the Cassa di Risparmio di Lucca Foundation, and the Lucca Center for the Arts Foundation<\/a>, also serves as an opportunity to announce the creation of the future museum space at the Lucca Center for the Arts \u2014a collaboration between the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Lucca and the Fondazione Centro Studi sull\u2019Arte Licia e Carlo Ludovico Ragghianti\u2014where Batoni\u2019s painting will be on display starting in 2029.<\/p>\n

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Minerva Infuses the Soul into the Human Figure Modeled in Clay by Prometheus <\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The magnificent painting by Pompeo Batoni, one of the most celebrated artists of the Italian Settecento, stands as a significant testament to his fascination with mythological subjects, as well as a remarkable achievement of his early maturity. Addressing the theme of the genesis of life through a subject never before treated in painting, the work draws upon the classical iconography of a group of Roman sarcophagi depicting the myth of Prometheus.<\/p>\n

–<\/p>\n

The subject of the picture derives from Metamorphoses (I, 76\u201388) and, together with the canvas Atalanta Mourning the Death of Meleager, now in the same foundation, was executed for the Marquis Lodovico Sardini during the period in which the artist divided his time between Rome and his native city, to which he remained profoundly attached throughout his life.<\/p>\n

–<\/p>\n

The Titan Prometheus is depicted in the act of bringing to completion his greatest creation: a young man modelled from clay, embodying the classical ideal of beauty and in all likelihood inspired by the celebrated Hermes Pio-Clementino, then known as the Antinous Belvedere. Beside him, the goddess Minerva\u2014derived from the Minerva Giustiniani and softened according to the canon of grace\u2014advances to breathe life into the figure, offering him a butterfly, the traditional emblem of the soul.<\/p>\n

–<\/p>\n

The canvas bears witness to the extraordinary level of refinement achieved by Batoni during the first half of the 1740s. Hailed as a \u201cnew Raphael,\u201d he worked for some of the most eminent figures of his age, from Popes Benedict XIV, Clement XIII and Pius VI to Maria Theresa, Frederick II of Prussia and Catherine II. He was especially renowned for his religious, mythological and historical compositions, as well as for his portraits, many of which were commissioned by wealthy travellers passing through Rome on the Grand Tour.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Opening hours and admission<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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It is open every day (except Wednesdays) from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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All editions<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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May 24 \u2013 July 21, 2014<\/p>\n

Portrait of a Young Man with a Lute by Agnolo Bronzino<\/a><\/p>\n

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September 5 \u2013 November 2, 2014<\/p>\n

Adoration of the Shepherds by Lorenzo Lotto\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

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June 17 \u2013 September 28, 2015<\/p>\n

The Madonna of Pontassieve by Beato Angelico<\/a><\/p>\n

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September 19 \u2013 November 15, 2015<\/p>\n

Capriccio with a Small Square by Francesco Guardi\u00a0\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

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April 8 \u2013 June 6, 2016<\/p>\n

Saint Mark by Andrea Mantegna<\/a><\/p>\n

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May 28 \u2013 November 1, 2021<\/p>\n

Saint George and the Dragon by Paolo Uccello<\/a><\/p>\n

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July 15 \u2013 October 15, 2023<\/p>\n

Warsaw, Church of the Holy Cross by Bernardo Bellotto<\/a><\/p>\n

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May 11 \u2013 July 16, 2023<\/p>\n

Cleopatra by Artemisia Gentileschi<\/a><\/p>\n

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May 14 \u2013 September 8, 2025<\/p>\n

The Crucified Christ by Antoon van Dyck<\/a><\/p>\n

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June 18\u00a0 \u2014 September 27, 2026<\/p>\n

Minerva Infuses the Soul into the Human Figure Modeled in Clay by Prometheus<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":317,"featured_media":125773,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"cini_tax_event_categories":[1891,1470],"cini_tax_institutes":[34,1882],"cini_tax_event_locations":[1896,1519],"class_list":["post-125571","cini_events","type-cini_events","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","cini_tax_event_categories-eventi-en","cini_tax_event_categories-events","cini_tax_institutes-institute-of-art-history","cini_tax_institutes-istituto-di-storia-dellarte-en","cini_tax_event_locations-palazzo-cini-venezia-en","cini_tax_event_locations-palazzo-cini-la-galleria"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nA Guest at the Palace | Pompeo Girolamo Batoni<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cini.it\/en\/eventi\/a-guest-at-the-palace-minerva-infuses-the-soul-into-the-human-figure-modeled-in-clay-by-prometheus-by-pompeo-girolamo-batoni\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A Guest at the Palace | Pompeo Girolamo Batoni\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"On the occasion of the opening season of the Galleria di Palazzo Cini at San Vio, the new \u201cguest at the Palace\u201d is the picture Minerva Infuses the Soul into the Human Figure Modeled in Clay by Prometheus by Pompeo Girolamo Batoni (Lucca, 1708 \u2013 Rome, 1787), dating from between 1740 and 1743. 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