Minerva in her Study (c.1631) was painted by Isaac de Jouderville during his apprenticeship with Rembrandt. Jouderville entered Rembrandt’s workshop in 1629 and quickly absorbed his master’s painterly approach, but kept his own style, which emphasized surface detail and even lighting.
In this image, the globes, books and inkwell echo Minerva’s role as the defender of music, poetry and wisdom, and the protector of intellectual pursuits. In Leiden, however, her function as the protectress of weaving would have resonated in the textile industry.