Ceres Seated on Clouds with Two Goddesses and Two Putti, from a series of eight compositions after Francesco Primaticcio's designs for the ceiling of the Ulysses Gallery (destroyed 1738-39) at Fontainebleau

Art Historical Context

This exquisite engraving, created by the master printmaker Giorgio Ghisi in 1560s after designs by Francesco Primaticcio, immortalizes a lost masterpiece from the opulent Palace of Fontainebleau.itled *Ceres Seated on with Two Goddesses and Putti*, it formed part of an eight-composition series adorning the ceiling of the Ulysses Gallery—a lavish space commissioned for the French royal court. Primaticcio, an Italianist invited by King Francis I, infused the School of Fontainebleau with dynamic poses, elongated figures, and ethereal mythology, blending Italian sophistication with French grandeur. At the center, Ceres, the Roman goddess of agriculture and harvest, reclines majestically on billowing clouds, flanked by two attendant goddesses and frolicsome putti—chubby childlike spirits symbolizing love and play. Ghisi's engraving technique, with its precise burin lines and rich tonal contrasts, captures the fluid grace and intricate details of Primaticcio's frescoes, which were tragically destroyed during renovations in 1738–39. This reproductive print thus serves as a vital preservation of Renaissance decorative art. Measuring just 7¼ × 9⅝ inches, this work from the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Elisha Whittelsey Collection highlights the era's fascination with classical deities, evoking abundance and divine harmony for Fontainebleau's elite patrons. A testament to collaborative genius, it bridges painting and printmaking, making courtly splendor accessible to a wider audience.

About the Artist

Giorgio Ghisi|Francesco Primaticcio · 1520–1582

Giorgio Ghisi (c. 1520–1582) was one of the most accomplished engravers of the Italian Renaissance, renowned for translating the monumental compositions of Raphael, Giulio Romano, and Michelangelo into the exacting medium of the burin. Born in Mantua, he trained in an environment shaped by the legacy of Giulio Romano's decoration of the Palazzo del Te, and the grandeur of that Mannerist tradition ...