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Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · Hover to magnify, click for fullscreen
Original fileLooking upward into a circular dome, the viewer sees a central medallion of God the Father surrounded by eight rectangular panels. These panels represent the seven planets of the ancient world—Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Sol (the Sun), and Luna (the Moon)—plus the sphere of the fixed stars, each personified by a deity and accompanied by an angel. The arrangement reflects a hierarchical cosmos where divine will is transmitted through angelic movers to the planetary bodies.
This work is a primary visual representation of the High Renaissance synthesis of Christian theology and Neoplatonic astrology. It illustrates the Aristotelian and Ptolemaic concept of the 'Intelligences' or angels who govern the motion of the celestial spheres, a theme central to the cosmic visions of Marsilio Ficino and Dante Alighieri.
Dante Alighieri
The structure of the dome mirrors the celestial hierarchy of the Paradiso, where each planetary sphere is associated with a specific order of angels.
Marsilio Ficino
Ficino's Neoplatonic theories on the relationship between planetary influences and divine providence underpin the chapel's astrological program.
Object
Oil on panel
religious
Digital Source
Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
Web Gallery of Art: Image Info about artworkwga QS:P11807,"r/raphael/5roma/2/09chigi2"
1000 × 1067 px
AI AI-cataloged fields generated by gemini-3-flash-preview on April 1, 2026. Getty identifiers are AI-inferred and may require verification.