The Triumph of Galatea was painted to decorate the Villa Farnesina for Raphael’s banker and friend Agostino Chigi. It is the only painting from Greek mythology ever painted by the artist. It was inspired by the poem “Stanza per la Giostra,” by Angelo Poliziano, which is also thought to have been the inspiration for Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus (1483-85). The verse describes how, despite the love song sung by Polyphemus, Galatea spurns his love, sailing away with her company of sea nymphs. Although neither his poetic series nor the intended frescos to decorate the villa were completed, we are lucky to have within this work a marvelous example of Raphael’s technical artistic ability as well as imaginative interpretation.
This fresco depicts the story of Galatea, daughter of the sea god Nereus, who had fallen in love with Acis, a shepherd. The story goes that Polyphemus, the Cyclops and son of Poseidon, loved Galatea, and when he caught her and her beloved Acis in embrace, he killed him in a jealous rage. In the center, we see Galatea riding the seas on a conch-shell chariot drawn by two dolphins, trying to flee. Mythical sea creatures, nymps, and flying putti surround the heroine in this dramatic escape.
The piece breathes with an emotional intensity that is testament to Raphael’s ability to conjure ideals of grandeur so majestically. The figures in the composition all interact with each other to form a cohesive whole. Each gesture is met with a reciprocal gesture, guiding our gaze to the central beauty of Galatea’s face, which the artist professed came directly from his imagination rather than a model. A frenzied fluidity of movement is achieved through Galatea’s billowing robe, the plunging dolphins, and the supreme musculature of the other figures, illustrating perfect machinations of the body.
It’s easy to see Michelangelo’s influence in the muscular forms or Leonardo’s harking back to Roman classical frescos with the bright coloring. Yet, there is no doubt that this painting is a supreme example that embodies all Raphael had learned resulting in a magnificent elegy to the dreamlike nature of beauty.
Fresco – Villa Farnesina, Rome
Source: https://www.theartstory.org
