Sandro Botticelli, "Pallas Athena Taming a Centaur." Egg tempera on canvas. c 1482. The Uffizi, Florence Formerly in the Pitti Palace?

This painting by Botticelli was not discovered for 4 centuries. It was found in 1895, but nearly another century passed before clues as to its original meaning, owner and location came to light. In 1975 an inventory from 1499 was found that said the painting once belonged to Lorenzo di Pierfranceso and his brother Giovanni, and that in the 15th century (WHEN?} it was hung above a door in the city palace in the same room as Botticelli's Primavera. That palace I assume to be the Palazzo Veccho, which was once owned by the Medici family. And Lorenze The Magnifcent's insignia - three or four interlaced diamond rings - are embroidered at least four times on Athena's dress. I believe the myrtle wreath and garlands Athena wears in her hair and on her upper body are also symbols of the Medici, as well as of Venus and Love, as in the Primavera. So my guess is that Lorenzo the Magnificent gave this painting, along with the Primavera, as wedding present tohis nephew Lorenzo di Pierfranceso, or rather to his bride, Semiramis d'Appiano.

Lorenzo di Pierfranceso was hardly an ideal groom for a lady, probably not even for a horse. More stud than man, he was more like an ancient centaur, those monsters known for their insatiable appetites and bestial behavior. He was, according to contemporary accounts, "sensual, brutal, debauched and violent." He lorded it over his household, and when he got mad at his servants, he had them killed. The men, that is. Upon their wives he sired at least six children. Apiece!

So what was his new bride, Semiramis, supposed to do with such a monster?

By sending her Botticelli's painting, Lorenzo the Magnificent, was telling her how to handle his nephew, Lorenzo the boor. Against his centaur-like bestiality, she was to embody Pallas Athena, the embodiment of Reason, but also the Warrior Goddess who ruled over men clad in armor, breastplate, spear and shield - a shield embossed with the head of a Gorgon whose look alone could so terrify men it turned them to stone with fear.

Did Lorenzo Pierfrancesco also get the message: "Let your wife teach you and bring you to reason"? I doubt it. Maybe someone can find out!
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SOURCES in paragraph one the facts about the discovery of this painting and who first owned are from the Wikipedia article on it. The facts and two (imagined) quotes in paragraph are from an article at "World Art Treasures: Sandro Botticelli. The Profane Works" (http://www.bererfoundation.ch/Sandro/44paiennes_english.html".