History of the Farnese

The decoration of large halls with the deeds of the nobility and their ancestors was intended to inspire the viewer’s admiration. The depiction of such events from the recent past has a long tradition. Most such cycles in the first half of the sixteenth century, however, are dedicated to a single person or event. By contrast, from the middle of the century onward this genre was increasingly devoted to the representation of dynasties.

Salviati’s decoration of the Salotto Dipinto in the Palazzo Farnese demonstrates a refined use of the tapestry motif: between the various paintings depicting scenes with the deeds of the Farnese family, Salviati placed painted tapestries.