Perino del Vaga - Frescoes (Palazzo del Principe, Genoa)

Perino del Vaga
Ancestors of Andrea Doria
1529-32
fresco
Loggia degli Eroi, Palazzo del Principe, Genoa

Perino del Vaga
Ancestors of Andrea Doria
1529-32
fresco
Loggia degli Eroi, Palazzo del Principe, Genoa

Perino del Vaga
Ancestors of Andrea Doria
1529-32
fresco
Loggia degli Eroi, Palazzo del Principe, Genoa

Perino del Vaga
Ancestors of Andrea Doria
1529-32
fresco
Loggia degli Eroi, Palazzo del Principe, Genoa

Perino del Vaga
Lunette Figure
1529-32
fresco
Loggia degli Eroi, Palazzo del Principe, Genoa

Perino del Vaga
Lunette Figure
1529-32
fresco
Loggia degli Eroi, Palazzo del Principe, Genoa

Perino del Vaga
Lunette Figure
1529-32
fresco
Loggia degli Eroi, Palazzo del Principe, Genoa

"A truly great gift is art, who, paying no regard to abundance of riches, to high estate, or to nobility of blood, embraces, protects, and uplifts from the ground a child of poverty much more often than one wrapped in the ease of wealth. And this Heaven does in order to show how much power the influences of its stars and constellations have over us, distributing more of its favours to one, and to another less; which influences are for the most part the reason that we mortals come to be born with dispositions more or less fiery or sluggish, weak or strong, fierce or gentle, fortunate or unfortunate, and richer or poorer in talent. And whoever has any doubts of this, will be enlightened in this present Life of Perino del Vaga, a painter of great excellence and genius."

"This Perino, the son of a poor father, having been left an orphan as a little child and abandoned by his relatives, was guided and governed by art, whom he always acknowledged as his true mother and honoured without ceasing. And the studies of the art of painting were pursued by him with such zeal and diligence, that he was enabled in due time to execute those noble and famous decorations which have brought so much glory to Genoa and to Prince Doria." 

                                                *                   *                 *

"Having ascended the staircase, one comes into the most beautiful loggia [details above] . . . and the walls are painted down to the floor with many seated figures of captains in armour, some drawn from life and some from imagination, and representing all the ancient and modern captains of the house of Doria."                                         

"In the other hall [details below], into which one enters by the right-hand door in the loggia, he . . . painted pictures in fresco of Jove slaying the Giants with his thunderbolts, in which are many very beautiful nudes, larger than life. In the Heaven, likewise, are all the Gods, who are making gestures of great vivacity and truly appropriate to their natures, amid the terrible uproar of the thunder; besides which, the stucco-work is executed with supreme diligence, and the fresco-colouring could not be more beautiful, seeing that Perino was very able – indeed, a perfect master – in that field."

– from Lives of the Painters, Sculptors and Architects by Giorgio Vasari (1568), translated by Gaston du C. de Vere (1912)

Perino del Vaga
Fall of the Giants (detail)
1531-33
ceiling fresco
Sala dei Giganti, Palazzo del Principe, Genoa

Perino del Vaga
Fall of the Giants (detail)
1531-33
ceiling fresco
Sala dei Giganti, Palazzo del Principe, Genoa

Perino del Vaga
Fall of the Giants (detail)
1531-33
ceiling fresco
Sala dei Giganti, Palazzo del Principe, Genoa

Perino del Vaga
Fall of the Giants (detail)
1531-33
ceiling fresco
Sala dei Giganti, Palazzo del Principe, Genoa

Perino del Vaga
Fall of the Giants (detail)
1531-33
ceiling fresco
Sala dei Giganti, Palazzo del Principe, Genoa

Perino del Vaga
Fall of the Giants (detail)
1531-33
ceiling fresco
Sala dei Giganti, Palazzo del Principe, Genoa

Perino del Vaga
Fall of the Giants (detail)
1531-33
ceiling fresco
Sala dei Giganti, Palazzo del Principe, Genoa

Perino del Vaga
Fall of the Giants (detail)
1531-33
ceiling fresco
Sala dei Giganti, Palazzo del Principe, Genoa