In 1597 Cardinal Odoardo Farnese commissioned Annibale Carracci's great masterpiece, the ceiling of the Galleria Farnese in the Palazzo Farnese, the most splendid and influential ceiling decoration in Rome since that of the Sistine Chapel. Annibale's brother Agostino assisted him on at least two of the scenes until they quarrelled and Agostino left Rome. In contrast to the earlier interpretation which saw them as a Neoplatonic allegory of the victory of Celestial Love over physical passion, in recent years Annibale's frescoes have generally been regarded as a witty and joyous celebration of the classical gods in love.

Just as Michelangelo's Sistine Ceiling marks the beginning of sixteenth century monumental Roman ceiling painting, the Galleria Farnese closes the century with a similarly magnificent ceiling decoration. These frescoes were tremendously influential, for two centuries ranking with Michelangelo's work in the Sistine Chapel and Raphael's frescos in the Vatican as the supreme examples of Western painting. Generations of young painters were set to copy it.

Preview	Picture Data	File Info	Comment
	The Galleria Farnese 1597-1602 Fresco Galleria Farnese, Palazzo Farnese, Rome	1000*1237 True Color 238 Kb
	General view 1597-1602 Fresco Galleria Farnese, Palazzo Farnese, Rome	1300*958 True Color 250 Kb
	General view 1597-1602 Fresco Galleria Farnese, Palazzo Farnese, Rome	1300*955 True Color 250 Kb
	Ceiling fresco 1597-1602 Fresco Galleria Farnese, Palazzo Farnese, Rome	810*1047 True Color 195 Kb
	Ceiling fresco 1597-1602 Fresco Galleria Farnese, Palazzo Farnese, Rome	1244*750 True Color 249 Kb
	Ceiling fresco 1597-1602 Fresco Galleria Farnese, Palazzo Farnese, Rome	1700*709 True Color 278 Kb
	Triumph of Bacchus and Ariadne 1597-1602 Fresco Galleria Farnese, Palazzo Farnese, Rome	1213*1000 True Color 205 Kb
	Triumph of Bacchus and Ariadne 1597-1602 Fresco Galleria Farnese, Palazzo Farnese, Rome	1247*630 True Color 191 Kb
	Triumph of Bacchus and Ariadne (detail) 1595-1605 Fresco Galleria Farnese, Palazzo Farnese, Rome	830*672 True Color 144 Kb
	Triumph of Bacchus and Ariadne (detail) 1597-1602 Fresco Galleria Farnese, Palazzo Farnese, Rome	1000*1285 True Color 239 Kb
	Triumph of Bacchus and Ariadne (detail) 1597-1602 Fresco Galleria Farnese, Palazzo Farnese, Rome	1000*1216 True Color 238 Kb
	Polyphemus and Galatea 1595-1605 Fresco Palazzo Farnese, Rome	1110*1100 True Color 243 Kb
	Polyphemus and Acis 1595-1605 Fresco Galleria Farnese, Palazzo Farnese, Rome	1142*1100 True Color 246 Kb
	Polyphemus and Acis 1595-1605 Fresco Galleria Farnese, Palazzo Farnese, Rome	692*850 True Color 115 Kb
	Pan and Diana 1597-1602 Fresco Galleria Farnese, Palazzo Farnese, Rome	924*1300 True Color 235 Kb
	Mercury and Paris 1597-1602 Fresco Galleria Farnese, Palazzo Farnese, Rome	919*1300 True Color 250 Kb
	Cephalus and Aurora 1597-1602 Fresco Galleria Farnese, Palazzo Farnese, Rome	1832*600 True Color 219 Kb
	A Sea God Abducts a Woman 1597-1602 Fresco Galleria Farnese, Palazzo Farnese, Rome	1821*600 True Color 224 Kb
	A Sea God Abducts a Woman (detail) 1597-1602 Fresco Galleria Farnese, Palazzo Farnese, Rome	1300*1050 True Color 238 Kb
	Jupiter and Juno 1597-1602 Fresco Galleria Farnese, Palazzo Farnese, Rome	1469*760 True Color 234 Kb
	Venus and Anchises 1597-1602 Fresco Galleria Farnese, Palazzo Farnese, Rome	1450*760 True Color 217 Kb
	Diana and Endymion 1597-1602 Fresco Galleria Farnese, Palazzo Farnese, Rome	1400*762 True Color 231 Kb
	Perseus Liberating Andromeda 1597-1602 Fresco Galleria Farnese, Palazzo Farnese, Rome	1400*704 True Color 224 Kb
	Perseus Fighting with Phineus 1597-1602 Fresco Galleria Farnese, Palazzo Farnese, Rome	1616*800 True Color 243 Kb
	Perseus Fighting with Phineus (detail) 1597-1602 Fresco Galleria Farnese, Palazzo Farnese, Rome	1000*1300 True Color 246 Kb
	Hercules and Iole 1597-1602 Fresco Galleria Farnese, Palazzo Farnese, Rome	1537*760 True Color 246 Kb
	Europa and the Bull 1597-1602 Fresco Galleria Farnese, Palazzo Farnese, Rome	1200*932 True Color 220 Kb
	Eros and Anteros 1597-1602 Fresco Galleria Farnese, Palazzo Farnese, Rome	936*1200 True Color 239 Kb
	Sketch for the ceiling of the Galleria Farnese 1590s Pen and ink and wash, 164 x 255 mm Musée du Louvre, Paris	917*600 True Color 77 Kb
	Sketch for the ceiling of the Galleria Farnese 1590s Pen and ink and wash, 241 x 287 mm Musée du Louvre, Paris	1066*900 True Color 182 Kb
	Sketch for frieze of the Galleria Farnese 1590s Pen and ink and wash, 270 x 242 mm École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts, Paris	824*900 True Color 131 Kb