Chariot of Apollo 1504 - 1514

Pinturicchio painted this fragment of a fresco, depicting Apollo in his chariot, in the late 15th or early 16th century. Fresco is a demanding medium; the artist applies pigment to wet plaster, which then binds the colors as it dries. The quick pace required means fresco painters often rely on assistants, dividing the labor of preparing the surface, mixing pigments, and executing less critical passages. Here, the vibrant reds and blues, achieved with costly pigments, create a striking contrast to the roughly textured plaster. The luminosity of the colors gives the scene an otherworldly quality, appropriate to its mythological subject. The work's location, originally a palace or villa, indicates that this was likely an environment where the wealthy could contemplate classical knowledge and demonstrate their sophistication. Considering the effort required, from mining pigments to skilled application, this fragment speaks volumes about the material conditions of artistic production in Renaissance Italy.