Ep. 79: Raphael and the Villa Farnesina

At the height of his career in Rome, Raphael was commissioned by the wealthy banker Agostino Chigi to join a large workforce of artists decorating his villa on the outskirts of central Rome, known today as the Villa Farnesina. The decoration is entirely secular, depicting a wide range of pagan mythologies all throughout what can be considered a pleasure palace. Raphael's major contributions were his Galatea and his decoration of the Loggia of Cupid and Psyche. This episode explores the history of these works, particularly how they relate to their function and to their patron, Agostino Chigi. Raphael did not paint very many mythological works, so this villa serves as a stunning example of Raphael's work beyond the typical conventions of High Renaissance Rome. Watch/Support/Learn: https://linktr.ee/italian_renaissance_podcastWorks Discussed: Sebastiano del Piombo, Polyphemus & Raphael, Galatea, ca. 1512 https://www.wga.hu/html_m/s/sebastia/polyphe.htmlRaphael and workshop, Loggia of Cupid and Psyche, 1518 https://www.wga.hu/html_m/r/raphael/5roma/4a/The Florentine Renaissance CourseSupport the show