Oval Ceiling with Three Graces, Design for Sala di Enea, Palazzo Marescalchi, Bologna
Classification
figures
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Museum purchase through gift of various donors
Accession Number
1901-39-1665
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Felice Giani, a prominent Italian Neoclassical artist (1758–1823), created this elegant *Oval Ceiling with Three Graces* in 1810 as a preparatory design for the Sala di Enea (Room of Aeneas) in Bologna's Palazzo Marescalchi. The palatial residence, a gem of Bolognese architecture, hosted grand decorative schemes that revived classical antiquity during the Napoleonic era, blending Roman mythology with refined elegance. At the heart of the composition are the Three Graces—Aglaia, Euphrosyne, and Thalia—symbols of beauty, joy, and charm from Greek mythology, often depicted in graceful, intertwin...