Mercury - Raphael

Mercury descends from the heavens with a yellow cloak billowing behind him, gesturing upward with his left hand. He is flanked by two putti holding musical instruments, and the entire scene is framed by heavy garlands of realistic fruits and foliage. This image is a detail from the ceiling frescoes of the Loggia di Psiche.

As the Roman equivalent of Hermes, Mercury is the patron of the Hermetic tradition and the messenger of divine wisdom. In the context of this cycle based on Apuleius, he represents the intellectual mediation required for the soul's ascent to the divine.