Putto with Thunderbolts

Putto with ThunderboltsRaphael

571
In this fresco (1518), Raphael shows a winged putto (mythological infant) carrying zigzagging thunderbolts, symbol of Jupiter’s divine power. Hovering above an eagle—Jupiter’s sacred animal—the figure reinforces the omnipotence of the god presiding over Cupid and Psyche’s celestial wedding, blending mythological grandeur with festive allegory.