A large antique oil on canvas painting depicting the  Sacrifice to Minerva,  a large-scale Italian Lombard School painting with mythological scene dating from the Late 1600s, with great scenic impact, this figural work depictis an animated composition with a moltitude of characters in an interior. The painting depicts a man standing, behind an altar, shielding himself from a kindling fire. To the left of the altar there is  Minerva, seated in an armchair flanked by rich pottery in classical flowing white robes, surrounded by a crowd of people, near a brazier a maid hands a cartouche extracting it from a casket to seated characters. In front of them a woman holds two children and a boy. In the background is a colonnade with statues.

The painting is vey large, in good age related condition, canvas has been relined and shows an horizontal seam at the top and restoration signs throughout the surface, the craquelure is very textural in some areas and appears to have already been consolidated. This large antique Italian painting is set in an original gilt frame with damages and gilding losses consistent with the age.See closed-up detailed pictures.
This 17th century Italian mythological painting comes from an Italian Lombard private family.