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This modello, or detailed oil study, is one of a group of 12 that Giordano made in preparation for the ceiling frescoes in the Palazzo Medici Riccardi in 1682–85. Ten of the modelli are in the National Gallery’s collection, and this one corresponds to the group in the centre of the ceiling of the grand Galleria. It constitutes the climax of the decorative scheme, presenting the Medici family as paradigms of virtue. The predominant figure, surrounded by radiant light, is Jupiter, king of the gods, supported by figures representing Glory and Wisdom. The bearded figure below him is Cosimo I de’ Medici (1519–1574), who had become the first Grand Duke of Tuscany over a century earlier. In the final fresco Giordano changed the central figures to include portraits of four more members of the Medici family, giving them the attributes of the Cardinal Virtues.
Title
Apotheosis of the Medici
Date
early 1680s
Medium
Oil on canvas
Measurements
H 139 x W 65.2 cm
Accession number
NG6636
Acquisition method
Presented by the Trustees of Sir Denis Mahon's Charitable Trust through the Art Fund, 2013
Work type
Painting