PERUGINO, Pietro
(b. 1450, Citta della Pieve, d. 1523, Perugia)

Ceiling with four medallions

1507-08
Fresco
Stanza dell'Incendio di Borgo, Palazzi Vaticani, Vatican

Pope Julius II had Perugino decorate the vault in the third, rear room of the group of Stanze, in the Stanza dell'Incendio di Borgo. Four tondi present views into heaven, of God the Father, Christ and his tempter, the Trinity and apostles, and finally Christ between Justice and Grace. These ceiling frescoes were clearly intended to relate to planned murals, but nothing is known about the themes that Julius had planned. Between 1514 and 1517 Raphael and his workshop frescoed the walls at Leo X's behest. The scenes depicted clearly relate to the new pope.