Heads of Goddesses (Flora, Diana, Ceres) 1595 - 1605

This small sheet presents the "Heads of Goddesses (Flora, Diana, Ceres)" in an anonymous composition. It depicts three figures against a dark background, which emphasizes their pale skin and delicate features. The arrangement is striking: Flora on the left, adorned with flowers, Diana in the center with a crescent moon, and Ceres, holding a scythe, to the right. Their heads are tilted towards each other, creating a sense of connection, yet each goddess remains distinct through her attributes. The artist uses subtle variations in color and texture, differentiating each figure. Flora’s skin has a rosy hue, Diana’s a pearly luminescence, and Ceres possesses a soft, golden tone. The anonymous artist creates a space where classical mythology meets the sensibility of portraiture. The very act of naming these figures, writing their names at the bottom of the artwork, invites the viewer into a game of identification, a dialogue with antiquity that is both intimate and intellectually stimulating.