Pasiphae, by Giulio Romano, 1526 ca. - 1528 ca.

Pasiphae spatial coverage: civic museum of palazzo te, viale te, 13 - mantua (mn), italy - owned by the municipality of mantua size: height: 209 cm width: 252 cm format: dry finished fresco the scene, painted above the second window on the eastern wall, shows pasiphae entering the wooden heifer built for her by daedalus, in order to be able to join the bull depicted at the bottom right. Surrounding the fresco is an imbricated frame with angular acanthus leaves. The figures fit into this frame in a three-dimensional way: the heifer's tail, in fact, overlaps. The fresco was painted on ten layers of plaster (days). As regards the drawing transfer techniques, the only presence of dusting is found, particularly evident in the heifer's legs. In no detail of the internal fresco are direct or cardboard engravings found. The scale pattern of the imbricated frame is made with direct compass incisions, of which it is possible to recognize the location of the holes. The corner acanthus leaves are also directly engraved. Saline subflorescences and efflorescences affect the surface, causing drops and lifting of the paint film and falls. Among the most damaged areas are the face, arm and drapery on the legs of pasiphae, the back of the heifer, the shoulder of daedalus, the upper central portion and the lower right corner of the frame. The lower part of the frame has a "leopard spot" chromatic alteration. Date: 1526 ca. - 1528 ca..