Camera degli Sposi, Renaissance fresco cycle in Saint George Castle, Mantua, Italy.
The Camera degli Sposi is a frescoed room inside Saint George Castle in Mantua, Italy. Walls and ceiling show members of the ruling family in courtly scenes with landscapes and architecture in the background.
Andrea Mantegna worked on the paintings between 1465 and 1474 commissioned by the Gonzaga family. The work took shape in the northeast tower chamber of the castle during Ludovico Gonzaga's rule.
The ceiling features an innovative oculus with cherubs and courtiers peering down, establishing new standards for illusionistic ceiling decorations.
The room sits in the northeast tower of the castle and is reached through the Ducal Palace. Visitors should look up to catch the ceiling painting with its open sky view.
The ceiling center shows a round opening to the sky with figures looking down over the edge. This technique was new for the time and later copied often.
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