LONGHI, The fall of the gaints -- PALAZZO SAGREDO, VENEZIA.

Speranza

The scene depicts the story of GIOVE's rout of the Giants, sons of the Earth , who had rebelled against the gods.

GIOVE had cast the giants out of OLIMPO.

The client, GERARDO SAGREDO, most likely wanted this imagery to convey a moral about the risks of pride and the disavowal of authority.

The scene is clearly divided into two distinct parts.

GIOVE appears at the centre of the ceiling, caught in the act of hurling his lightning bolts against the GIANTS.

GIOVE sits astride a large eagle that holds other lightning bolts in its beak.

BENEATH GIOVE, arranged in a circle on the clouds, various other Olympian gods witness his victory.

On the walls, the HUGE, NAKED, figures of the falling rebels are depicted in UNGAINLY, dramatically intense postures.

Only in this sort of academic exercise with the MALE NUDE can one find an echo of LONGHI's first techer: Balestra.

On the other hand, the disposition of the figures of the gods around the central figure of GIOVE on the ceiling seems strictly indebted to CRESPI's assembly of the gods in the Palazzo PEPOLI.