Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 3.djvu/56

48 whole admirably drawn and exhibiting the most perfect grace. In a manner equally beautiful, Raphael further depicted the Marriage of Psyche, with the attendants ministering to Jupiter and the graces scattering flowers. In the angles of the ceiling also he executed other stories, representing in one of them a figure of Mercury with his flute; the god in his graceful movements appears really to be descending from heaven: in a second is the figure of Jupiter depicted with an aspect of the most sublime dignity, near him is Ganymede, whom with celestial gravity he is caressing, and on the remaining angles are other mythological representations. Lower down is the chariot of Venus, wherein Pysche is borne to heaven in a car which is drawn by the Graces, who are aided by Mercury. In those compartments of the vaulting which are above the arches and between the angles, are figures of boys most beautifully foreshortened, they are hovering in the air and bear the various attributes proper to the different deities; one has the thunderbolts of Jove for example, others bear the helmet, sword, and shield of Mars, or the hammers of Yulcan, some are laden with the club and lion-skin of Hercules, one carries the caduceus of Mercury, another the pipe of Pan, while others again have the agricultural implements of Yertumnus: all are accompanied by the animals appropriate to their various offices and the whole work, whether as painting or poetry, is of a truth eminently beautiful. All these representations Raphael further caused Giovanni da Udine to surround with a bordering of flowers, fruits, and foliage in the richest variety, disposed in festoons and all as beautiful as it is possible that works of the kind can be.

This master likewise gave a design for the stables of the Chigi Palace, with that for the chapel belonging to the same Agostino Chigi in the Church of Santa Maria del Popolo, this he painted also, and furthermore made preparations for the construction of a magnificent sepulchral monument, for