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Art Gallery.
The Art Gallery is a room in Ultimecia Castle.
Located on the castle's second floor, nestled between the two east stairway halls, the gallery consists of two levels of wall to wall portrait and landscape artworks. Each artwork is named in Latin, with the dominant landscape art piece (numbered '13' in this list) remaining unnamed until the player solves a puzzle involving the names of the other artworks and the clock-face on the floor.
Once the puzzle is solved the room's assigned guardian, Trauma, will arise to attack the party.
Puzzle
The gallery's floor has a picture of a clock with hands pointing to VIII, IV, and VI. The values refer to paintings with those particular letters: VIII for "Vividarium", IV for "Intervigilium", and VI is "Viator". The player must enter the three titles in that order. This is supposed to be Latin for "In the Garden Sleeps a Messenger", but many of the pictures' names are Greek, falsely spelled or made up. In the Italian version of the game, the Latin title is correctly translated as "The Garden, The Sleep, The Messenger".
Artworks
1. IGNUS (Fire)
IGNUS.
Set beneath the moon the barren landscape of Ignus is encased in a sea of flame that threatens to envelope the lunar observer.
Ignis is a Latin word that means "fire". Ignus is a variation of the word, as is meant to be used as a given name.
2. INANDANTIA (Flood)
INANDANTIA.
Inandantia depicts a large cascade of water flowing down a mountainside towards the foreground where the water is seen to be flooding amongst the rocks.
The word inandantia is similar to the Latin word inundatio, which means "flood". The reason for the variation is unknown.
3. IUDICIUM (Judgement)
IUDICIUM.
The Iudicium depicts what appears to be a winged demon kneeling in a shallow pool of water with ripples emanating outwards from it and bones littered around it. In front of the demon's dead gaze is a gorge, filled with the dead who are trying to claw their way out. The painting hints that the winged demon is judging who will leave and who will not.
Iudicium is a Medieval Latin word that means "judgement".
4. INTERVIGILIUM (Sleep)
INTERVIGILIUM.
Intervigilium features a white, rotund subject lying in presumed slumber on a green hill; its back resting against the trunk of a portly tree.
Intervigilium is a Medieval Latin word that means "nap". It means literally "between awakeness".
5. VENUS (Love)
VENUS.
An interpretation of an emotion depicted on canvas, Venus is an explosion of vibrant pinks and reds; akin to a supernova. The focal point of which deriving from the lower left of the art to extend to all four corners of the canvas.
Venus is the Latin goddess of Love.
6. VIATOR (Messenger)
VIATOR.
Viator contains a bird, flying in the sky above a massive city. The bird itself is carrying something, perhaps a message to be delivered to some unknown recipient.
Viator is a Latin word that describes "a traveler, a wayfarer, a messenger".
7. VIGIL (Watchman)
VIGIL.
The Vigil; three cloaked men wander a corridor. The darkness lit only by the light of the lanterns they carry.
Vigil is a Latin word that means "watchman".
The chiaroscuro lighting and the style of clothing depicted is reminiscent of Rembrandt's famous painting The Night Watch.
8. VIVIDARIUM (Garden)
VIVIDARIUM.
A painting of a garden landscape, the Vividarium depicts a green hedge maze contoured by pink flowers, greens trees and a prominent fountain. In the background a castle or mansion can be seen overlooking the scape.
The word Vividarium is similar to the Latin word Viridarium, which describes a Roman Garden. It is related to the word Viridis, "green".
9. INAUDAX (Cowardice)
INAUDAX.
In Inaudax, a group of humans are being attacked by a series of demons as a lone man prostrates himself, arms over his head in fear as his friends are slaughtered.
Inaudax is a Latin word which means "fearful, timid". It means literally "un-bold".
10. XYSTUS (Tree-lined Road)
XYSTUS.
The Xystus, is a tree-lined path cuts through a garden of grass and hedges. A rider, atop a chocobo, travels down the path.
Xystus is a Latin word that denotes "a walk planted with trees".
11. XERAMPELINAE (Red Clothes)
XERAMPELINAE.
The Xerampelinae is a portrait of a young woman in a red gown. An intricate gold hairpiece dons her head as she seems to smile at the viewer.
Xerampelinae is a Latin word that describes "dark red garments".
12. XIPHIAS (Swordfish)
XIPHIAS.
Xiphias depicts a life painting of a green swordfish, emphasized by a yellow aura in front of a blue background, bordered by a faded brown shade.
Xiphias is the Latin word for "swordfish".
13. VIVIDARIUM ET INTERVIGILIUM ET VIATOR (In the Garden Sleeps a Messenger)
VIVIDARIUM ET INTERVIGILIUM ET VIATOR.
The largest landscape artwork in the gallery, the Vividarium et Intervigilium et Viator maintains a prominent position in the room.
Depicting a landscaped beach of gardens and white pillars the architecture hints at a Centra locale, although it is unclear whether it is fictional or based on an actual location in Ultimecia’s time; if the latter is true than it may in part explain the artwork's prominent position.
The phrase contains words that are meaningful as stand-alones, yet as a whole are technically meaningless.
Gallery
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Enemies
Floor
Stairs
Balconies
Trivia
- Many of the paintings may provide hints and references to Ultimecia and her personality, however, the hints are subtle and vague. It is also unclear whether the sorceress herself painted these or if she is an art collector.
- Some of the painted subjects are reminiscent of subjects in Final Fantasy VIII, such as the landscape in the Vividarium Intervigilium Viator reminiscent of Edea's Orphanage.
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