SANDRO BOTTICELLI
Painter of Florence
(1444-1510)

Name: Chris Iverson
Date: 2002-11-23
Comments: Amazing painting! It makes me want to know more about the story behind it... the centaur is so tormented...why? I will definately reasearch this peice more!

Name: Unknown
Date: 2003-01-28
Comments: During the
Renaissance Pallas was known as the goddess of
reason. It was a favorite of the Renaissance
humanists to portray Athena with a
Centaur -- diametrical opposites. Athena was
known as a genteel woman with high intellect,
while the Centaur was described
as a wild beast. The Centaur is said to represent
man's lower, party animal nature. Centaurs were
lecherous, brutal, and
drunken creatures. In the paintings Athena is
usually shown grasping a centaur by the hair
on his head as he cringes and trys to
pull away, representing the hold civilization
has on the animal within man.

Name: Luthien
Date: 2003-04-16
Comments: Fantastic representation of both. Love Palls' experssion, it seems to convey her compasion for the centaur.

Name: Unknown
Date: 2003-05-30
Comments: this is a great masterpiece! I am one of Botticelli"s greatests fans. Pallas' pose is very similiar to tjat of Venus in the birth of venus.

Name: kellie
Date: 2004-03-29
Comments: The humbling of man. The touch of Ahtena, Goddess of wisdom, is the knowlegde of what makes men human of man.. And knowlegde hurts, especially the knowledge passed on by a godess. Mr Centaur doesn't seem to be handling it too well, does he?