The Fall of the Giants
| Support Type: | Wall / Plaster |
| Paint Type: | Fresco |
| Current Location: | Palazzo del Principe (Villa del Principe), Salone dei Giganti, Genoa, Italy. |
| Location History: | The fresco has never left its original location. Perino del Vaga was invited to Genoa by the admiral Andrea Doria in 1527 and began decorating the newly rebuilt palace from 1529 onward, completing the Fall of the Giants ceiling around 1530–33 as part of a broader decade-long decorative campaign covering multiple rooms of the residence, including the Loggia degli Eroi. The palace remains in the ownership of the Doria Pamphilj family today and is open to the public as a museum. |
Girolamo Fagiuoli's Fall of the Giants, after Perino del Vaga, depicts the dramatic moment when Jupiter strikes the rebellious giants with his lightning. What's so striking about the scene is the way everything seems to be falling at once. The Giants tumble in the air, with rocks and uprooted trees they had used as weapons. Jupiter is still above in the clouds, almost untouched by the chaos below. There is a lot of movement here, it’s as if the figures have been caught in the middle of a violent collapse rather than set up neatly for the viewer. Also, the power dynamic in the scene is made very clear by the contrast between Jupiter’s elevated position and the helpless fall of the Giants. And at the same time, the fact that the design was for a room used by Charles V adds another dimension to the image. The ancient tale of Jupiter’s defeat of the Giants could be read in parallel with the Emperor’s own victories over rebellion. But the scene feels like more than just a celebration of power. The falling bodies, broken trees and scattered rocks also make victory look destructive, leaving the viewer with a more complicated impression of triumph and defeat.