The artist has used the principle of displacement (delocazione) since 1970s by which he exposes to fire a series of objects that are then withdrawn. From their original shape remain only the marks left by the smoke and the soot. For Villa Medici, Parmiggiani chose a composition of butterflies, a recurring pattern of his work. The Chamber of Jupiter’s Loves is part of the apartment of the Cardinal Ferdinando de’ Medici, along with the Chamber of the Elements and the Chamber of the Muses. The ceilings and frescoes of the three rooms were painted by Jacopo Zucchi. In 1700, the panels and frescoes of the Chamber of Jupiter’sLoves were in all likelihood destroyed in a fire, apparently caused by the reserve of the Grand Duke Cosimo III, who deemed the iconography too licentious. From then on the room had been left with empty walls and the ceilings deprived of their painted canvas. The French Academy in Rome wanted to include a work of art that could reflect the identity of Villa Medici and chose Claudio Parmiggiani for this project because his work is in perfect harmony with the spirits of the place.

Images by Claudio Abate