Raphael, Ceiling of the Stanza della Segnatura
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The Four Ceiling Tondos
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For the symbolism in the tondi, see the discussion of each of the murals over which they preside.
The Four Ceiling Panels
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Each of the ceiling panels corresponds to one of the murals below:
Adam and Eve -- The Disputations
The Prime Mover -- The School of Athens
Judgment of Solomon -- The Virtues
Apollo and Marsayas -- Parnassus
The Elements
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EARTH
Top: Roman Consul Lucius Junius Brutus sentences his own sons to death for their atempt to reinstate monarchy in Rome by raising Lucius Tarquinius Superbus to the throne.
Bottom: giants bound to the earth
AIR
Top: Amphitrite fleeing Neptune hides with protectors on the Island of Atlas.
Bottom: Amphitrite, mounted on a dolphin, uses the wind in a sail to flee from Neptune
FIRE
Top: Mucius Scaevola, to emphasize his willingness to suffer pain in the service of Rome, thrusts his right hand in the burning flame of the altar of the Etruscan king
Bottom: Vulcan at his forge
WATER
Top: The Sabine Mettius Curtius, rather than surrendering to the pursuing Romans, commits suicide by drowning in the marshy waters of the Lacus Curtius.
Bottom: Satyr anoints the heads of lovers a pair of lovers
Keystone Panel with Papal Coat of Arms
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The two crossed "Keys of Peter" represent the divinely-given papal power to bind and release events on earth.
Above the keys, the tiara symbolizes the supreme authority invested in the papacy.
