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''The Fall of the Giants'' is a full room
fresco Fresco ( or frescoes) is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaster, the painting become ...
from floor to ceiling done by
Italian Renaissance The Italian Renaissance ( ) was a period in History of Italy, Italian history between the 14th and 16th centuries. The period is known for the initial development of the broader Renaissance culture that spread across Western Europe and marked t ...
artist and architect
Giulio Romano Giulio Pippi ( – 1 November 1546), known as Giulio Romano and Jules Romain ( , ; ), was an Italian Renaissance painter and architect. He was a pupil of Raphael, and his stylistic deviations from High Renaissance classicism help define the ...
. Romano worked on the room from 1532 to 1534. It is located in the Palazzo de Te,
Mantua Mantua ( ; ; Lombard language, Lombard and ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Italian region of Lombardy, and capital of the Province of Mantua, eponymous province. In 2016, Mantua was designated as the "Italian Capital of Culture". In 2 ...
, which was also designed and built by Romano. It was created for his patron
Federico II Gonzaga Federico II of Gonzaga (17 May 1500 – 28 August 1540) was the ruler of the Italian city of Mantua (first as Marquis, later as Duke) from 1519 until his death. He was also Marquis of Montferrat from 1536. Biography Federico was son of Francesco ...
, the Duke of Mantua. The rooms of the Palazzo are said to tell the story of
Ovid Publius Ovidius Naso (; 20 March 43 BC – AD 17/18), known in English as Ovid ( ), was a Augustan literature (ancient Rome), Roman poet who lived during the reign of Augustus. He was a younger contemporary of Virgil and Horace, with whom he i ...
's ''
Metamorphoses The ''Metamorphoses'' (, , ) is a Latin Narrative poetry, narrative poem from 8 Common Era, CE by the Ancient Rome, Roman poet Ovid. It is considered his ''Masterpiece, magnum opus''. The poem chronicles the history of the world from its Cre ...
.'' Also known as the Sala dei Giganti, it is one of twenty-seven rooms covered in illusionistic frescos done by Romano. This particular room is generally praised by scholars because of Romano's unique take on the Mannerist style. Theories surrounding the purpose of this room stretch from political commentary to an exposition on Federico II Gonzaga's character, though there is no evidence that either are true.


Description

The room forms a round panorama; with no beginning or end.Pierguidi, S. (2004). "Gigantomachia" and the Wheel of Fortune in Giulio Romano, Vincenzo Cartari and Anton Francesco Doni, and the Authorship of the "Asinesca Gloria". ''Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes,'' ''67'', 275–284. Its singular theme absorbs the viewer into the story of the heavenly god,
Jupiter Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the List of Solar System objects by size, largest in the Solar System. It is a gas giant with a Jupiter mass, mass more than 2.5 times that of all the other planets in the Solar System combined a ...
away from his throne, showing his willingness to fight against the
giants A giant is a being of human appearance, sometimes of prodigious size and strength, common in folklore. Giant(s) or The Giant(s) may also refer to: Mythology and religion *Giants (Greek mythology) * Jötunn, a Germanic term often translated as 'g ...
attack. Jupiter carries a lightning bolt, wreaking havoc against the theatrical giants. From floods, destruction and the nonchalant faces of the heavenly court, there is a strong sense of victory from the Gods. According to
Giorgio Vasari Giorgio Vasari (30 July 1511 – 27 June 1574) was an Italian Renaissance painter, architect, art historian, and biographer who is best known for his work ''Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects'', considered the ideol ...
, it was Romano's intention to create this illusionistic landscape of mountains and buildings collapsing, surrounded by heavy clouds driven by the winds that distorted the Giant's face in horror.Guthmüller, Bodo. “Ovidübersetzungen Und Mythologische Malerei. Bemerkungen Zur Sala Dei Giganti Giulio Romanos.” ''Mitteilungen Des Kunsthistorischen Institutes in Florenz'', vol. 21, no. 1, 1977, pp. 35–68. When entering the Sala dei Giganti, an action scene of mid battle, is stuccoed onto the walls, bringing the viewer a sense of excitement. The limitless room is shocking and unsuspecting, unlike any other room in the Palazzo, the scene is an intimate exchange between all powerful Gods and unsuspecting giants on a battleground. In order to create an illusionistic experience Romano purposely put the viewer on the ground with the giants, who are losing the battle with the Gods. This design choice is said by scholars to be meant as an intimidation tactic for the viewer, as the patron Federico II Gonzaga wanted his visitors to be uneasy in his presence. His desire to create an overwrought environment derived from his need to prove his authority and power within Mantua. The tall ceilings accentuate the experience through an amplification of sound that allows visitors to hear the smallest sound from across the room. In many respects the ''Sala dei Giganti'' (Fall of the Giants) differs from the other rooms of the Palazzo. In areas, such as ''the Sala di Psyche'' and ''the Sala di Ovidio,'' Romano had created scenes of erotic abandon and pastoral calm but in ''the Sala dei Giganti'' the viewer is confronted with scenes of chaos and violence.


Sources

The frescos done by Giulio Romano are most likely linked with the translation of the Venetian poet Niccolò delgi Agostini which first appeared in
Venice Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...
, in the year 1522. This translation became the standard for the second quarter of the 16th century. Consulting the contemporary translations of Ovid's ''Metamorphoses'' help explain the iconographic motifs in the rooms of the Palazzo de Te''.'' This translation played an essential role in telling the Ovidian myths.


Iconography

To fully understand the lay out of this room, there should be an understanding that the architectural design is meant to support the story of the frescoed walls and ceiling. Romano intentionally placed slingstone throughout the floor of the room. He hid the sharp corners of the walls with a continuous scene that carries the viewer's eye around and up the walls of the room. This helped create the illusion of a panoramic scene, when in reality the viewer is standing in a four cornered room with a domed ceiling. In the Chamber of Giants, the viewer is greeted with the horrific faces of the giants in the midst of chaos and destruction. Crushed by monumental marble and natural disasters caused by Jupiter, the giants are simultaneously trying to escape. Above the fireplace, the face of
Typhon Typhon (; , ), also Typhoeus (; ), Typhaon () or Typhos (), was a monstrous serpentine giant and one of the deadliest creatures in Greek mythology. According to Hesiod, Typhon was the son of Gaia and Tartarus. However, one source has Typhon as t ...
, the son of
Gaia In Greek mythology, Gaia (; , a poetic form of ('), meaning 'land' or 'earth'),, , . also spelled Gaea (), is the personification of Earth. Gaia is the ancestral mother—sometimes parthenogenic—of all life. She is the mother of Uranus (S ...
(personification of Earth). He is the target of the heavenly god, Jupiter. He tries to save himself from Jupiter’s wrath by spitting fire, but to no avail, he is in seen in the midst of his defeat. To once again create an interaction with the architecture, Romano has Typhons weak attempt to attack Jupiter become a part of the fireplace below him by having the fire he spits connect with the fire in the fireplace. When looking for Typhons aggressor the viewer's eye is drawn to the heroic Jupiter, away from his throne. He places himself by
Juno Juno commonly refers to: *Juno (mythology), the Roman goddess of marriage and queen of the gods * ''Juno'' (film), the 2007 film Juno may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Fictional characters *Juno, a character in the book ''Juno of ...
, Jupiter’s wife and sister, an action scene of himself actively attacking the giants who, according to the ''Metamorphosis'', has intent to raid
Mount Olympus Mount Olympus (, , ) is an extensive massif near the Thermaic Gulf of the Aegean Sea, located on the border between Thessaly and Macedonia (Greece), Macedonia, between the regional units of Larissa (regional unit), Larissa and Pieria (regional ...
. Jupiter is seen carrying a lightning bolt, wreaking havoc on the animated giants. As the viewer's eye continues to go up the walls to the ceiling, they are greeted with a myriad of characters. They look down, some in horror and curiosity, others in an impassive annoyance of the event below them. Notably, the Imperial eagle looks down from an umbrellaed throne from above, giving the impression that it is orchestrating the event below. While the four winds help create the chaos through their evangelical talents and menacing faces. According to other versions of the myth, Jupiter resisted the Giants' assault thanks to the intervention of Pan or of the asses of
Silenus In Greek mythology, Silenus (; , ) was a companion and tutor to the wine god Dionysus. He is typically older than the satyrs of the Dionysian retinue ('' thiasos''), and sometimes considerably older, in which case he may be referred to as a Pa ...
and
Bacchus In ancient Greek religion and myth, Dionysus (; ) is the god of wine-making, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, festivity, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, and theatre. He was also known as Bacchus ( or ; ) by the Gre ...
, but overall the scene is meant to create an unsettling atmosphere for its visitors.


Patron

Done for his patron
Federico II Gonzaga Federico II of Gonzaga (17 May 1500 – 28 August 1540) was the ruler of the Italian city of Mantua (first as Marquis, later as Duke) from 1519 until his death. He was also Marquis of Montferrat from 1536. Biography Federico was son of Francesco ...
, the ''Metamorphoses'' was a popular subject to depict in the
Cinquecento The cultural and artistic events of Italy during the period 1500 to 1599 are collectively referred to as the Cinquecento (, ), from the Italian for the number 500, in turn from , which is Italian for the year 1500. Cinquecento encompasses the st ...
for multiple reasons. Its inherent possibilities for effective aesthetic design created a story the patron could tell to express their self-image in religion, morality, and political ideas. According to
Vasari Giorgio Vasari (30 July 1511 – 27 June 1574) was an Italian Renaissance painter, architect, art historian, and biographer who is best known for his work '' Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects'', considered the ide ...
, a well known artist and historian of his time,
Baldassare Castiglione Baldassare Castiglione, Count of Casatico (; 6 December 1478 – 2 February 1529),Dates of birth and death, and cause of the latter, fro, ''Italica'', Rai International online. was an Italian courtier, diplomat, soldier and a prominent Renaissan ...
was delegated by Federico II Gonzaga to procure Romano as the head artist and architect for the city of
Mantua Mantua ( ; ; Lombard language, Lombard and ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Italian region of Lombardy, and capital of the Province of Mantua, eponymous province. In 2016, Mantua was designated as the "Italian Capital of Culture". In 2 ...
,
Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
.Vasari, Giorgio, et al. ''Lives of the Artists''. Oxford University Press, 2008. In 1522 Romano was officially courted and in 1524, he moved to Mantua to build and decorate the interior of the Palazzo de Te and went on to build many of the cities buildings Palazzo de Te was built to honor and receive royal guests. In the Chamber of Psyche on the walls bordering the room it clearly states in “HONESTO OCIO POST LABORES AD REPARANDAM VIRT temQVIETI CONSTRVI MANDAVIT” meaning “ordered this construction for his honest leisure after hard labours, to regain his strength in peace”). Sala dei Giganti is traditionally seen by art historians as an allegory of Giulio Romano’s criticism of the Roman Emperor
Charles V Charles V may refer to: Kings and Emperors * Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558) * Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain * Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise Others * Charles V, Duke ...
and his global imperial rule. The high tension that followed the Italians Wars (1494–1559) and the limitation church and state put on political dialog, gave no safe space to critique the imperial empire at the time. This theory holds weight some weight, but for Gonzaga, the political commentary was seen by Charles V as a way of praising his imperial rule over Italy. This helped Gonzaga build a rapport with the emperor. Along with Gonzaga's military influence, the emperor made Gonzaga the Duke of Mantua. Researchers now speculate that the fresco was meant to show the patron's authority over Mantua. The room is so grand it is meant to make visitors feel small and overwhelmed by the scenes and movement that are on the surrounding walls. This created a perspective of Gonzaga as an authoritative character. Freud notes that looking deeper into the psychological aspects of Sala dei Giganti and its patron, it is easy to assume that Gonzaga wanted to prove his authority over Mantua and its people by displaying this fantastical panorama, showing his narcissistic insecurity. The need to prove himself all powerful and dedicate an entire Palazzo to his own gloriousness pushed Freud's interpretation of Gonzaga and the Sala dei Giganti.


Mannerism

Giulio Romano's mannerist style used in his frescoes was a way to dramatize the scene depicted on the walls of ''Sala dei Giganti''. This decision was both architectural and artistic. Mannerism is meant to blur the lines between architecture and fresco, giving the viewer the illusion of architecture that isn’t there, further embedding them into the surrounding scene. When Romano saw a flat room, he took it upon himself to create an illusionistic space to not only surprise its viewers, but to also create a space of tension and uneasiness. This style was forward thinking for many Renaissance artists. It was seen as distasteful to some. With no known classical training in this style, Romano honed it as his own. The idea of illusion was not a new concept, but Visari considered Romanos take on it as one that pushed the limits of its architecture. Without allowing the viewer to escape to reality once they entered the room, the viewer no longer is given the line between picture and frame. This made the room and Palazzo de Te unique in its own right. File:Ceiling of the Room of the giants in Palazzo Te, Mantua.jpg File:Giulio romano e rinaldo mantovano, caduta dei giganti, 1532-35, 23.jpg File:Giulio Romano - View of the Sala dei Giganti (west wall) - WGA09545.jpg File:Giulio Romano - View of the Sala dei Giganti (south wall) - WGA09546.jpg File:Giulio Romano - View of the Sala dei Giganti (north wall) - WGA09553.jpg File:Giulio romano e rinaldo mantovano, caduta dei giganti, 1532-35, 12.jpg File:Giulio romano e rinaldo mantovano, caduta dei giganti, 1532-35, 38.jpg File:Giulio romano e rinaldo mantovano, caduta dei giganti, 1532-35, 41.jpg File:Giulio romano e rinaldo mantovano, caduta dei giganti, 1532-35, 08.jpg File:Giulio romano e rinaldo mantovano, caduta dei giganti, 1532-35, 44.jpg File:Giulio romano e rinaldo mantovano, caduta dei giganti, 1532-35, 20.jpg File:Giulio romano e rinaldo mantovano, caduta dei giganti, 1532-35, 50.jpg


References

* Bazzoti, Ugo, Grazia Sgrilli, Ghigo Roli, and Grace Bromelow. 2013. ''Palazzo Te: Giulio Romano's Masterwork in Mantua''. London: Thames and Hudson. * Dandelet, Thomas James. 2014. ''The renaissance of empire in early modern Europe''. New York: Cambridge University Press. * Guthmüller, Bodo. “Ovidübersetzungen Und Mythologische Malerei. Bemerkungen Zur Sala Dei Giganti Giulio Romanos.” ''Mitteilungen Des Kunsthistorischen Institutes in Florenz'', vol. 21, no. 1, 1977, pp. 35–68. * Tafuri, Manfredo. (1998). ''Giulio Romano'' (English ed., Architecture in early modern Italy). Cambridge; New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. * Pierguidi, S. (2004). "Gigantomachia" and the Wheel of Fortune in Giulio Romano, Vincenzo Cartari and Anton Francesco Doni, and the Authorship of the "Asinesca Gloria". ''Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes,'' ''67'', 275–284. * Vasari, Giorgio, et al. ''Lives of the Artists''. Oxford University Press, 2008. * Forster, Kurt W., and Richard J. Tuttle. “The Palazzo Del Te.” ''Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians'' 30, no. 4 (1971): 267–93. https://doi.org/10.2307/988701. * Carabell, Paula. “Breaking the Frame: Transgression and Transformation in Giulio Romano’s Sala Dei Giganti.” ''Artibus et Historiae'' 18, no. 36 (1997): 87–100. https://doi.org/10.2307/1483601. * Hartt, Frederick. “Gonzaga Symbols in the Palazzo Del Te.” ''Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes'' 13, no. 3/4 (1950): 151–88. https://doi.org/10.2307/750211. * Cole, Michael. “Toward an Art History of Spanish Italy.” ''I Tatti Studies in the Italian Renaissance'' 16, no. 1/2 (2013): 37–46. https://doi.org/10.1086/674114. * Pierguidi, Stefano. “‘Gigantomachia’ and the Wheel of Fortune in Giulio Romano, Vincenzo Cartari and Anton Francesco Doni, and the Authorship of the ‘Asinesca Gloria.’” ''Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes'' 67 (2004): 275–284. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40026035. * Corrain, L. (2023). Art and Artifice: The Machine of Immersivity in the Camera dei Giganti/Chamber Of The Giants. ''AN-ICON. Studies in Environmental Images SSN 2785-7433', ''2''(I). https://doi.org/10.54103/ai/19938 * Linda, Svitlana. "The Mannerism of Giulio Romano: Innovation and dramatic imagery." ''Architectural Studies'' 9, no. 1 (2023): 47+. ''Gale Academic OneFile'' (accessed October 23, 2024). http://dx.doi.org/10.56318/as/1.2023.47.


Notes

{{Giulio Romano 1530s paintings Fresco paintings in Mantua Mantua Paintings by Giulio Romano Paintings based on Metamorphoses