The Voyage of Galatea

At the center of a turbulent sea, Galatea steers her dolphin-drawn chariot with calm poise, her red cloak billowing in the wind. She is encircled by muscular tritons and sea nymphs engaged in playful, erotic struggle, while winged cupids hover in the sky aiming arrows of love at the central figure. Below her, a fourth cupid glides atop a dolphin, echoing her movement across the waves.

Commissioned for the Villa Farnesina, this work embodies High Renaissance Neoplatonism, representing the soul’s ascent toward divine beauty and the triumph of celestial love over earthly lust. It is a visual translation of verses from Angelo Poliziano’s 'Stanze per la giostra', a key text in the Medicean humanist circle that sought to reconcile classical myth with philosophical truth.