Inspired by a 16th century ceiling fresco in
the Villa Farnese at Caprarola, Carlo Marchiori presents this dynamic
own interpretation of celestial cosmology showing the 12 signs of the
Zodiac and the Northern Ptolemaic Constellations as known in the 16th
century. He has added two large allegorical figures at opposite end
5 of the mural: "La
Notte" (Night) and "Il
Giorno" (Day), Mercury and the fall of Icarus. The Mural measures
44’ x 23’, painted first on 11 strips of canvas, was later
installed onto the ceiling. Marchiori sketched and drew all figures
"off his head" spontaneously on the empty canvas, pushed to
finish with a minimum of research, patterns or studies from models.
The work took four months.
The Ptolemaic Constellations of the Zodiac are:
Aries the Ram, Taurus the Bull with Aldebaran and the Pleiades, Gemini
the Twins as Castor and Pollux, Cancer the Crab, Leo the Lion with Regulus,
Virgo the Virgin with Spica, Libra the Scales, Scorpius the Scorpion
with Antares, Sagittarius the Archer, Capricorn the Sea-Goat, Aquarius
the Water Bearer; and Pisces the Fishes.
The Northern Ptolemaic Constellations include:
Andromeda the M31 galaxy, Aquila the Eagle, Auriga the Charioteer or
Capella, Bootes the Herdsman, Cassiopeia, Cepheus, Corona Borealis or
Northern Crown, Cygnus the Swan, Columbra the Dove, Delphinus the Dolphin,
Draco the Dragon, Hercules, Lyra the Lyre/Bird, Ophiuchus the Serpent-Handler,
Pegasus the Winged Horse, Perseus, Sagitta the Arrow, Serpens the Serpent,
Triangulum the Triangle, Ursa Major and Minor The Great and little Bears,
Ara the Altar Argo Navis the Ship, Canis Major and Minor the Great and
little dogs, Cetus the Whale, Centaurus the Centaur, Corona Austrina
the Southern Crown, Corvus the Crow, Crater the Cup, Eridanus the River,
Hydra the Water Snake, Lepus the Hare, Orion the Hunter; and Lupus the
wolf.