The Winter Garden

The room is surprising on account of the unexpected painting cycle on the wall: a work that Mariano Fortuny planned and created. For this project, he invented a special framework of paper glued onto hemp cloth painted and attached to the walls. The composition covers three sides of the room, with a total surface area of around 140 square meters. Begun in 1915, it was completed in the 1940s. Supported by the artifice of the trompe l’œil and by a harmonious application of colors, the creation gives the space a great luminosity. An ideal “enchanted garden” animated by allegorical figures, satyrs, and exotic animals: all set in a “Veronese-style” Corinthian loggia, embellished by luxuriant plant motifs, verdant garlands, and sophisticated drapes.