Abundance of The Days of the Week

This gold-hued ceiling panel by Elihu Vedder originally adorned the dining room of Collis and Arabella Huntington's Fifth Avenue mansion. The scene represents abundance all the days of the week. The central male figure, Apollo (Sunday), is surrounded by women representing the four seasons. To Apollo's left, the large-scale female figure is Luna (Monday) and to his right is Venus (Friday), rising from her shell. The four corners feature the elderly Saturn (Saturday) at the upper left, then (clockwise) Mercury (Wednesday), Mars (Tuesday), and Jupiter (Thursday). These planetary figures each include their astrological symbols. In between the seven major figures, small genii hold cornucopias overflowing with plenty.

Geography: Made in Rome, Italy

Culture: American

Period: 19th century

Credit: Gift of Archer M. Huntington, M.A. (Hon.) 1897