Endymion and Selene

There are different interpretations of Endymion’s myth. The first states that Endymion was a young and very good-looking shephard. Selene, who personified the Moon, fell in love with him. Her love was so intense that she decided to put him to sleep eternally in a cavern of the Latmo montain for fear of losing him. In this way she could kiss him and gaze at him whenever she wanted. Another legend says that Endymion was Zeus’s son and he could ask him for whatever he wanted thank to Selene. One day Endymion asked to be put to sleep forever, to become immortal and remain young forever. A further legend says that Endymion loved Selene intensely even if at the beginning she despised him. Finally she fell in love with him and they had 50 children. The myth of Endymion and Selene is represented in the "Gabinetto d’amore" or boudoir. All the room’s paintings are inspired by love themes. Because this room was kept for the duchess. In this room in fact she used to undress, she used to seat and receive her guests and we like to think also she used to gossip with her maids while embroiding Endymion and Selene’s representation is based on one of the three interpretation of this myth:in the foreground there is Juppiter, he seems to float in air, he is holding a torch in his hand. On the right, there are the two lovers: Endymion is sleeping, he is lying on a rock, while Selene is sitting besides him, she is trying to kiss him. The background is dark blue because Selene is one of the two Moon’s personification and the scene is set at night.

Endymion and Selene (boudoir)