Jupiter and Juno
Circle of Annibale Carracci (Bologna, 1560 - Rome, 1609)
Oil on canvas (126 x 95 cm. - Framed 142 x 112 cm.)
Complete details of the work (click HERE)
The work depicts Jupiter and Juno, king and queen of the Gods, the supreme couple of Roman mythology (Zeus and Hera in Greek mythology), who embody divine power and the complex marital dynamic of loyalty, extreme jealousy, and infidelity.
The scene draws inspiration from Book XIV of the Iliad, when the Queen of Olympus, siding with the Greeks, seduces Jupiter on Mount Ida to distract him from the fate of the Trojan War, as she desired the Trojans' victory to avenge her son Achilles.
Jupiter, seduced by his consort's enchanting appearance, is depicted welcoming Juno into the marital bed: she wears Venus's magical girdle to appear irresistible. The scene loses its classical mythological solemnity to take on a more intimate, almost mischievous tone, emphasizing the humanity of the deities.
The work is a splendid version derived from one of the panels in the fresco series decorating the vault of Palazzo Farnese, executed by Annibale Carracci between 1597 and 1600, commissioned by Cardinal Odoardo Farnese to celebrate the wedding of Ranuccio Farnese and Margherita Aldobrandini, where the central theme is "The Loves of the Gods" (image 1).
The freedom and sensuality of this image mark the transition from the rigor of the Counter-Reformation to a new expressive freedom, both sensual and classical: Jupiter and Juno, husband and wife, approach each other in an intensely erotic pose, with an evident return to the vital Renaissance culture, with strong references to Michelangelo (for the plasticity of the figures) and Raphael.
Of all Carracci's frescoes, this one in particular became one of the most famous and admired panels in the Farnese Gallery, with its sense of emotional intensity and sensuality.
The success of this subject therefore favored its considerable diffusion in a 'chamber' format, so much so that numerous paintings are known today, created by artists from the painter's circle/workshop or active immediately after the creation of the fresco, to satisfy Roman art collectors who wished to own their own version.
Among the numerous later copies, we can mention the painting on canvas, attributed to Antonio Carracci, now housed in the Borghese Gallery in Rome (image 2 - https://www.collezionegalleriaborghese.it/opere/giove-e-giunone)
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
The work is sold complete with an antique frame and is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity and guarantee.
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