The Loves of the Gods (Carracci)

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The Loves of the Gods is a massive fresco cycle completed by Annibale Caracci and other artists, for the Palazzo Farnese (now the French Embassy) in Rome. It is typically considered to be painted in a proto-baroque or late-mannerist style.

1 Production
2 Scheme
3 Critical Assessment and Legacy
4 Visiting the Farnese Gallery
5 Panels of Farnese Ceiling
6 External links

[edit] Production

Cardinal Odoardo Farnese, Pope Paul III's nephew, comissioned Annibale and his crew of painters to decorate the barrel-vaulted gallery in the piano nobile of the palace. Work was started in 1597 and ended in 1608. The painting crew was led by Annibale, and later briefly his brother Agostino, consisted of many trainees who would eventually become famous painters later including Francesco Albani, Guido Reni, Domenichino, and Sisto Badalocchio. The Farnese Gallery consists of profusely decorated quadratura and framed mythologic scenes.

[edit] Scheme

Annibale had first decorated a small room (the Camerino) in the Palazzo with scenes from the life of Hercules, likely to enhance the viewing of the famed Roman statue of the Farnese Hercules. In 1597, he began to decorate the gallery with mythological themes set within frames painted on an illusionistic architectural framework (quadratura)[1]. Ignudi, putti, and caryatid-like figures hold up the painted framework. Bellori, a noted art critic of the next generation called it "Human Love Governed by Celestial Love".

In the center panel, the Triumph of Bacchus and Ariadne depicts a both riotous and classically restrained procession which ferries Bacchus and Ariadne to their lovers' bed. Here, the underlying myth is that Bacchus, the god of wine, had gained the love of the abandoned princess, Ariadne. In the Republican and Imperial Roman era, triumphs were parades by victorious leaders, wherein a laureled-crowned imperator was led by a white chariot led by two white horses. The two lovers are led by chariots drawn by tigers [2] and a parade of nymphs, bacchanti, and trumpeting satyrs. At the fore, Bacchus' friend, the paunchy, ugly, and leering drunk Silenus, rides an ass. The figures carefully cavort in order to hide most naked male genitals. The program may refer to Ovid's Metamorphosis (VIII; lines 160-182) or a trifling carnival song-poem written by Lorenzo de Medici in about 1475, that entreats: [3]

Quest’è Bacco ed Arïanna,	Here are Bacchus and Ariadne,
belli, e l’un de l’altro ardenti:	Handsome, and burning for each other:
perché ’l tempo fugge e inganna,	Because time flees and fools,
sempre insieme stan contenti.	They stay together always content.
Queste ninfe ed altre genti	These nymphs and other gents
sono allegre tuttavia.	Are ever full of joy.
Chi vuol esser lieto, sia:	Let those who wish to be happy, be:
di doman non c’è certezza.	Of tomorrow, we have no certainty.

The painter's cousin Ludovico Carracci engraved uncensored graphic versions of the scenes. Also in contrast to the ceiling's intimation rather than outright depiction of mythological lovemaking are erotic engravings by the painter's brother Agostino.

[edit] Critical Assessment and Legacy

After completing this fresco, Annibale reportedly entered a long depression, and none of his subsequent works were considered as noteworthy as this. He would later influence Pietro da Cortona and Poussin in a subsequent generation. The density of figures would fuel debates in the next generation of fresco painters, Sacchi and Cortona; clearly,as this fresco indicates, Carraccis effervescent manner influenced Cortona.

Carracci, in his day, was seen as one painters that revived the classical style. Rebellious artists such as Caravaggio and his followers would in few years abandon the sunny background, and the representation of mythology in their art. Neoclassic formalism and severity frowned on the excesses of Carracci; but in his day, he would have been seen as masterful, as the supreme approximation to classic beauty. Carracci painted in the tradition of Raphael and Giulio Romano's secular Galatea frescoes in the Loggia of the Villa Farnesina [4] (acquired by the same family, but built earlier for Agostino Chigi at the foot of the Janiculum Hill in the Trastavere neighborhood). The Villa Farnesina is now the Academy of Lincei in Rome, and is bullhorn distance from the Farnese across the Tiber, and there were plans then to join both by a bridge.

[edit] Visiting the Farnese Gallery

To visit the gallery you must schedule a free appointment by phone or mail with the Servizio Culturale, French Embassy, Piazza Farnese 67, Rome 00186, Italy, Phone: 06-686011. Indicate when you wish to visit and provide a local phone number to receive confirmation a few days prior to your visit.

[edit] Panels of Farnese Ceiling

Image:Carracci - Jupiter et Junon.jpeg

Central Ceiling Fresco
Triumph of Bacchus and Ariadne
Ceiling Scenes
Bedding Scenes
Jove beds Juno
Venus, Cupid, and Anchise (father of Aeneas) (Genus Latinum)
Crescent-crowned Diane and Endymion
Hercules with tambourine and Iole with Club
Other
Europa and the Bull (Jupiter)
Aurora abducts Cephalus in her Chariot
Peleus abducts the Nereid Tethys
The Cyclops Polyphemus and the Nereid Galatea
The Cyclops Polyphemus Throws a Boulder at Fleeing Acis (and Galatea)
Ganymede and the Eagle (Jupiter)
Apollo abducts Hyacinth Skyward
Pan and Diana
Mercury Brings golden Apple to Paris
Wall Scenes
Peseus rescues Andromeda from the Dragon
Perseus turns Phineas and followers to stone using the head of Medusa
The Virgin and the Unicorn
Icarus and Dedalus
Diane is shown the Jupiter-impregnated Callisto
Metamorphosis of Callisto into a Bear
Mercury and Apollo
Arion the Citharist is rescued by Dolphins
Minerva and Prometheus
Hercules slays the Dragon
Hercules liberates Prometheus