RAFFAELLO Sanzio
(b. 1483, Urbino, d. 1520, Roma)

Venus and Psyche

1517-18
Fresco
Villa Farnesina, Rome

Giovanni da Udine's garlands were the first parts of the ceiling fresco to be painted, providing the grand schema for the divisions of the vault. The resulting pictorial sections are composed of figures that tell the story of Cupid and Psyche. The triangular supports of the vault contain the deities involved and their attributes are displayed by the 'amorini' hovering nearby.