Genii and cupids grouped around a basket of flowers ascending towards heaven, 1725

About the Work

The identity of the customer for whom de Wit carried out this ceiling design is unknown. The motif, however, would be suitable for the home of a newly married couple. Nymphs and putti bear flowers heavenward to the goddess Flora, who awaits her husband Zephyr, the god of the south wind seen approaching her from out of the distance. The artist demonstrated his ingenuity by relegating the main figures to the background, thus reinforcing the illusion of an infinite sky.