Explore the Description of this artwork.
The painting shows a young goddess wearing a white chiton and a purple cloak; there is a laurel wreath on her head. In her right hand she is holding up a gold cup, her other hand is resting on a large shield. The goddess is set in a dark landscape, where heavy clouds are gathering on the sky, but the first rays of the light are bursting through the gloom. Two eagles are coming, the first one is approaching the gold cup.
The painting supposedly portrays Count Széchenyi's lover, his later wife, Crescence Seilern. At time of its creation the goddess was identified as Minerva or Amphitrite but the composition originated in the very popular subject of Goddess Hebe accompanied by the eagle of Jupiter.
In the center of the shield the Hungarian coat-of-arms is flanked by Minerva and Hungaria, the latter woman is veiled but the goddess lifts up her shroud. This is another visual reference to the enlightenment that science could bring to the country. The reliefs of the shield depict a famous episode from ancient history, the meeting of Attila, the ruler of the Huns with Pope Leo I. The inspiration for this scene was the famous painting by Raphael in the Apostolic Palace, The Meeting of Leo the Great and Attila. At the time the Huns were generally considered the forefathers of the Hungarians.
The painting has the same elaborate Rococo frame as the contemporary monumental portrait of Count István Széchenyi by Friedrich von Amerling.
Jupiter Friedrich von Amerling Minerva Pope Leo I Raphael Rococo Huns Apostolic Palace Amphitrite Hungarian The Meeting of Leo the Great and Attila chiton portrait of Count István Széchenyi István Széchenyi Attila Hebe