The Council of Gods

A grand assembly of Greco-Roman deities is depicted within a simulated tapestry frame surrounded by thick garlands of fruit and foliage. Jupiter sits at the far right with his eagle at his feet, presiding over the council as Venus presents her case, while Mercury stands on the far left holding a cup of ambrosia. Various gods are identifiable by their attributes, including Neptune with his trident and Juno with her peacock, all reclining in a celestial realm.

The narrative of Cupid and Psyche, derived from Apuleius's 'The Golden Ass', served as a primary Neoplatonic allegory for the soul's (Psyche) purification through suffering and its ultimate union with Divine Love (Cupid). This reception into the divine council represents the 'apotheosis' or deification of the human soul, a central theme in the philosophical synthesis of pagan myth and Christian theology during the High Renaissance.