Italian school; second half of the 17th century.

Italian school; second half of the seventeenth century.
"Flora".
Oil on canvas. Relined.
Measurements: 59 x 46 cm (frame).
The monumentality of the portrayed and the technical qualities of the work indicate that it is a piece ascribed to the Italian school. In fact, it can be appreciated in the composition that follows the model of the allegorical portraits of the time, which were so popular in that school. The young woman is presented bust-length in front of the viewer, holding a tray, but placing her attention on the viewer, to whom she looks directly. She stands out, however, for the crown of roses and the routes of the tray, an attribute that may indicate that it is the representation of the goddess Flora.
Flora is the Roman goddess of flowers and the spring season, a symbol of nature and flowers, especially the flower of May. Although otherwise a relatively minor figure in Roman mythology, being one among several fertility goddesses, her association with spring gave her particular importance to the coming of spring, as did her role as goddess of youth. She was one of fifteen deities who had their own flamen (Roman priest), the Floralis, one of the flamines minores. Her Greek counterpart is Chloris.