Saturday, August 13, 2016

Italian Palace Frescoes of the 18th century

Sebastiano Ricci
Hercules overcoming Nessus
1706-07
fresco
Sala d'Ercole, Palazzo Fenzi, Florence

Sebastiano Ricci
Corner of the Sala d'Ercole
1706-07
frescoes
Palazzo Fenzi, Florence
 
Old Folks

   There was once an old man and his wife who lived deep in a wood to guard themselves against the hurt of the young, who are of the brutal joy, for they are with nature, and come as does nature. They from the outside, nature from within, to hurt old folks, who must build deep in a wood that place which is defended in secret.
   The old folks also have guns, and have laid traps, and put bags of acid in the trees.

   And are we safe? cries the old woman.
   It's the flesh that I fear, guard it as one will, still it dies inside of itself, says the old husband.
   We are to be gotten to no matter what we do, screams the old wife.
   Your screaming doesn't help, screams the old man.

   What helps? screams the old wife.
   Nothing, save the hope of a life beyond this one, roars the old man.
   But all I have is an old brain wrapped in gray hair; how can I know what I need to know? yells the old woman.
   Yelling doesn't help, yells the old man.

   What helps? roars the old woman.
   Nothing, save that which was before us, and shall continue after us; that cosmic Presence which us so made  But not even It lifts one star, or changes the order of one day in our behalf  No, we are alone, and there is no help . . . And so we set traps and keep guns, and make ourselves secret, sighed the old man.

   But what helps? screams the old woman.
   Certainly not you, luxuriating in an old man's logic, hanging to his wits, which he loses in your incessant questions, roars the old man.

– by Russell Edson, from The Childhood of an Equestrian (1973)

Giuseppe Maria Tereni
Sala delle Quattro Stagioni
1773
frescoes
Villa Medicea del Poggio Imperiale, Florence

Giuseppe Maria Tereni
Sala delle Opere e dei Giorni
1773
frescoes
Villa Medicea del Poggio Imperiale, Florence

Giuseppe Maria Tereni
Nobleman in front of a Tavern
1773
fresco
Villa Medicea del Poggio Imperiale, Florence

Sebastiano Ricci
Cardinal Virtue
1706-07
fresco
Sala d'Ercole, Palazzo Fenzi, Florence

Sebastiano Ricci
Cardinal Virtue
1706-07
fresco
Sala d'Ercole, Palazzo Fenzi, Florence

Sebastiano Ricci
Cardinal Virtue
1706-07
fresco
Sala d'Ercole, Palazzo Fenzi, Florence

Sebastiano Ricci
Cardinal Virtue
1706-07
fresco
Sala d'Ercole, Palazzo Fenzi, Florence
 
Francesco de Mura
Legend of Theseus
1741-43
fresco
Palazzo Reale, Turin

Francesco de Mura
Disciplines of the Olympic Games in Antiquity
1741-43
fresco
Palazzo Reale, Turin

Donato Creti
Alexander the Great cuts the Gordion Knot
1710
fresco
Palazzo Pepoli Campogrande, Bologna

Donato Creti
Alexander the Great cuts the Gordion Knot (detail)
1710
fresco
Palazzo Pepoli Campogrande, Bologna

Giambattista Tiepolo
Pluto abducting Proserpine
1743-50
fresco
Palazzo Labia, Venice