Villa farnesina, loggia di psiche 14

Three nude female figures, the Graces, are clustered on a cloud as a winged Cupid hovers nearby, gesturing toward them. The scene is framed by heavy, naturalistic garlands of fruit, vegetables, and flowers, which separate this triangular composition from other celestial scenes. In the adjacent spandrels, winged putti fly through a blue sky, one holding a staff and another appearing to grapple with a beast.

Based on the myth in Apuleius' 'The Golden Ass,' this cycle was interpreted by Renaissance Neoplatonists as an allegory for the human soul's (Psyche) journey through suffering toward divine union with Love (Cupid). The Three Graces specifically represent the Neoplatonic triad of giving, receiving, and returning the gifts of the divine.