Justice, Mercury and Minerva defeat the vices while a group of goddesses watch from the clouds 1524 - 1606

Paolo Farinati created this drawing titled 'Justice, Mercury and Minerva defeat the vices while a group of goddesses watch from the clouds’ at an unknown date during his lifetime. In this allegorical scene, we witness a hierarchy of power, with male gods and goddesses triumphing over earthly vices. Justice wielding a sword, Mercury with his spear, and Minerva in her helmet, embody the virtues celebrated in 16th-century Italian society. The goddesses in the clouds, detached from the conflict, observe the scene unfold below. The artist's choice to depict male figures as active agents of justice, while the goddesses remain passive spectators, reflects the gender norms of the time. While the drawing celebrates the victory of virtue, it also reveals the deep-seated inequalities that permeated Renaissance society. It invites us to reflect on whose voices and bodies were valued and whose were marginalized. This drawing invites us to consider how art both reflects and shapes societal values.