One of the first things that I noticed was how there seems to be two different atmospheres in the painting. One is in the foreground with Athena and her helpers. The other is in the background where Arachne is showing off her tapestry to her helpers. It seems to me that the logical reason to put Athena in the foreground and make her known is to show the outcome of this challenge. All of Athena's workers seem to be involved in helping Athena probably because they knew or at least had a sense of who she was. Arachne's helpers are probably all about lavishing attention and admiration on to hers, since Arachne perceived herself as the best weaver.
Also I noticed how Athena's head is not turned towards Arachne's tapestry and looking at what she produced. Athena looks completely at ease with creating her tapestry. She is doing it at a leisurely pace all the while talking to that girl on the left. She doesn't need to hurry because she knows that she is the best.
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