The galley of Calai and Zeti propelled by Boreas and Oreithyia

A study for one of the barges designed by Parigi for the Argonautica, one of the festivities celebrating the wedding of Cosimo de'Medici to the Archduchess Maria Maddalena in the autumn of 1608. Ottavio Rannucci published a description of the mock battle between the fleet of the Argonauts, the part of Jason being played by Cosimo, and the inhabitants of Colchis. The battle was played out on the Arno between the bridges of Santa Trinit dal Levante and Carraia del Ponente on the evening of 3 November. The barge of the sea-god Glaucus was, according to Rannucci, filled with musicians to encourage both fleets and was decorated with 'conchiglie e coralli, e altre maraviglie del mare'. The nenteen designs for barges, of which Parigi was responsible for all except two, were engraved by Cantagallina. Thirteen drawings from the series were sold at Sotheby's London, 5 July 1976, lots 33-8 and a further four are in the Uffizi, G.G. Bertel and A. Petrioli Tofani, Feste e Apparati Medicei da Cosimo I a Cosimo II, Florence, 1969, nos. 77-80. One drawing from the Sotheby's group was sold at Christie's New York, 11 January 1994, lot 18.