in particular). The iconographic program for this fresco, designed by
the poet Francesco Bracciolini (1566–1645), centered on the accom-
plishments of the Barberini. Divine Providence appears in a halo of
radiant light directing Immortality, holding a crown of stars, to be-
stow eternal life on the Barberini family. The virtues Faith, Hope,
and Charity hold aloft a gigantic laurel wreath (also a symbol of im-
mortality), which frames three bees (the family’s symbols, which also
appeared in Bernini’s baldacchino,FIG. 24-5). Also present are the pa-
pal tiara and keys announcing the personal triumphs of Urban VIII.
GIOVANNI BATTISTA GAULLIThe dazzling spectacle of
ceiling frescoes also proved very effective for commissions illustrating
religious themes. Church authorities realized that such paintings,
high above the ground, offered perfect opportunities to impress on
worshipers the glory and power of the Catholic Church. In conjunc-
tion with the theatricality of Italian Baroque architecture and sculp-
ture, frescoes spanning church ceilings contributed to creating tran-
scendent spiritual environments well suited to the Church’s needs in
Counter-Reformation Rome.664 Chapter 24 ITALY AND SPAIN, 1600 TO 1700
24-23Giovanni Battista
Gaulli,Triumph of the Name of
Jesus,ceiling fresco with stucco
figures on the nave vault of Il
Gesù, Rome, Italy, 1676–1679.
In the nave of Il Gesù, gilded
architecture opens up to offer
the faithful a glimpse of Heaven.
To heighten the illusion, Gaulli
painted figures on stucco ex-
tensions that project outside
the painting’s frame.