Apotheosis of the Medici
Artist: Luca Giordano (Italian, 1634 - 1705)
Original Dimensions: 54 3/4" x 25 5/8"
Location: National Gallery of Art, London
About Artwork: (Early 1680s) "This modello, or detailed oil study, is one of a group of 12 that Giordano made in preparation for the ceiling frescoes in the Palazzo Medici Riccardi in 1682–85. Ten of the modelli are in the National Gallery’s collection, and this one corresponds to the group in the centre of the ceiling of the grand Galleria. It constitutes the climax of the decorative scheme, presenting the Medici family as paradigms of virtue. The predominant figure, surrounded by radiant light, is Jupiter, king of the gods, supported by figures representing Glory and Wisdom. The bearded figure below him is Cosimo I de’ Medici (1519–1574), who had become the first Grand Duke of Tuscany over a century earlier. In the final fresco Giordano changed the central figures to include portraits of four more members of the Medici family, giving them the attributes of the Cardinal Virtues. At the bottom of the modello is Apollo, god of the sun, riding his chariot through the sky; at the top is the chariot of the moon, drawn by bulls." - (National Gallery of Art, London)

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