Farnesina Loggia di Psiche. 07

This view of the Loggia ceiling shows mythological figures framed by lush, heavy garlands of fruit, vegetables, and flowers. In the central triangular section, a bearded Jupiter sits with his eagle, gesturing toward a youthful Cupid, while adjacent spandrels feature winged putti carrying divine attributes like a caduceus and a mythical beast. An ornate, translucent stone lamp stands in the foreground, set against a background of trompe l'oeil architectural niches.

The cycle illustrates the myth of Cupid and Psyche from Apuleius's 'The Golden Ass,' which Renaissance thinkers interpreted as a Neoplatonic allegory for the soul's journey toward divine love. The detailed botanical festoons by Giovanni da Udine are significant to the history of natural philosophy, as they represent a scientific visual catalog of flora known in the 16th century, including early European depictions of New World species.