This engraving is one in a series of four (see also M.88.91.199b, c, d) that reproduces the decoration on the ceiling of the Gallery of Ulysses at Fontainebleau, the summer residence of Francis I of France (r. 1515−47), which was constructed and decorated by Italian artists in the mid-sixteenth century. Although the ornate gallery was destroyed in the eighteenth century, Ghisi’s prints help to re-create its original design by the artist Francesco Primaticcio. The chamber’s ceiling was divided into fifteen vaulted compartments, each containing a central image surrounded by multiple scenes; this series of engravings reproduces the decoration from the fourth vault, which featured at its center the goddess Venus and the three Fates. The composition’s unique form points to the shape of the ceiling panels. The series was likely produced during Ghisi’s French sojourn and was originally printed in Paris.
Erudite courtly viewers took pleasure in identifying literary references; attributes of each of the figures in this print help to determine who they are meant to represent. The woman at left reading a book can be understood as Clio, the muse of history, while the woman at right thumbing through a scroll is likely Calliope, the muse of poetry. At center, the figure who raises a single finger skyward is almost certainly Urania, the muse of astronomy. Above them, a putto soars, raising a lyre and glancing at the group below.
Claire Spadafora Baes
2024
