Loves of the Gods

Loves of the Gods, one of Carracci's most famous pieces, adorns the ceiling of the Palazzo Farnese. In essence, the piece is a visual display of love in Greek mythology. The ceiling is notable because of the new style that Carracci employed. Called quadro riportato, this style of painting is when a fresco looks like an oil based painting. In Loves of the Gods, there appear to be numerous framed oil paintings on the ceiling, but the ceiling is actually fresco. Painted polychrome statues of young men frame the frescoes and appear to watch as various myths are played out before them. Probably the most famous individual fresco is in the center. It is called "Triumph of Bacchus" and is a mix between the styles of Titian and Raphael, combined to form Carracci's new and unique style.

The work most similar to Loves of the Gods is Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel frescoes. While similar in the orientation or set up of the frescoes, the two differ in subject matter. While Michelangelo's outlined the fall of man and his redemption according to Christian beliefs, Carracci depicted Greek myths of love. Both are ceiling frescoes made of several smaller frescoes and have statuesque onlookers painted and sculpted into the room. The Sistine Chapel is a bit more geometric than Palazzo Farnese--Carracci used mainly rectangular frames, while Michelangelo had lunettes and triangles interspersed in the Sistine Chapel. Another difference between the two pieces is that Carracci painted the ceiling frescoes with in even light, but painted the statues as if a light was coming from below them in order to make them appear more statuesque. The chiaroscuro is what differentiates the two ceilings.