Giorgio Vasari’s Mercury: God of Magic and Wisdom
In 1555, assisted by Cristofano Gherardi, Il Doceno (1508-1556), Giorgio Vasari (1511-1574) designed and painted a mythological and cosmological theme in the Sala degli Elementi, an apartment of Cosimo I de’ Medici (1519-1574), Duke of Florence, at the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence. The Apartment of t...
| Published in: | Cultural and religious studies |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
David Publishing Company
2019
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| In: |
Cultural and religious studies
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| Further subjects: | B
classical and Renaissance traditions
B Hermes / Mercury B tarot cards B Symbolism B Sala degli Elementi B Astrology B history painting B Pluto (Dwarf planet) / Hades B Mythology B Palazzo della Signoria B Neoplatonism |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | In 1555, assisted by Cristofano Gherardi, Il Doceno (1508-1556), Giorgio Vasari (1511-1574) designed and painted a mythological and cosmological theme in the Sala degli Elementi, an apartment of Cosimo I de’ Medici (1519-1574), Duke of Florence, at the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence. The Apartment of the Elements is dedicated to the four elements (air, earth, fire, and water), which in antiquity were considered to be the basis of the material of the world. The four elements are personified as a history painting theme on the ceiling and the walls of the chamber. Accordingly, on the ceiling is the element of Air, personified by several events: Its center depicts Saturn Mutilating Heaven and surrounding this scene are The Chariots of the Sun and the Moon, the images of Day and Night, and the virtues of Peace, Fame, Justice, and Truth. On the walls of the chamber, there are personifications of the elements of Earth (north), Fire (east), and Water (south). The frescoes on the left hand wall relate to the element of Earth. In the center of the north wall, the first fruits of the Earth are offered to Saturn.[1] On the adjacent wall, east wall, above the fireplace, are scenes relating to the element of Fire: Vulcan’s Forge is depicted in the center of wall.[2] On the adjacent wall, south wall, the element of Water is symbolized with The Birth of Venus.[3] On the window wall, west wall, are two large niches containing simulated sculptures of Hermes-Mercury and Hades-Pluto. These two images connect thematically with the wall decoration of the elements and the pantheon of the gods on the ceiling. This essay will focus only on the image of Hermes-Mercury. It consists of two parts: the stylistic impact of classical and Renaissance sources of this astral and pagan god in Vasari’s imagery, and the signification of the personification of Mercury associated and interconnected with Cosimo I de’ Medici, Duke of Florence. |
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| ISSN: | 2328-2177 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Cultural and religious studies
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.17265/2328-2177/2019.10.001 |