Venus, Juno and Minerva

Adriaen Collaert after Jan van der Straet

National Gallery of Art

The image shows three nude female figures from head to toe, positioned in a classical and symbolic manner. The first woman on the left stands upright, her head slightly inclined, with her eyes closed, and her hair styled back away from her face. She is draped with a flowing cloth around her hips that moves with a sense of flowing motion. Next to her, a cherub-like figure holds onto her drapery. The second woman, in the center, appears to be sitting or leaning on a cloud, holding a scepter-like object, with her gaze directed forward. Her hair is pulled back and she is crowned with a crescent. The third woman on the right is turned slightly away from the viewer but looks over her shoulder, her gaze directed towards an object at the back. Her hair is covered with a helmet adorned with intricate designs, and she holds a shield in her left hand. The background features swirling clouds that the figures rest upon. The names "VENERIS," "IVNO," and "MINERVA" are inscribed next to each figure.