Africa, Design for a Pendentive in the Baptismal Vestibule of St. Peterâs, Rome
Classification
interiors
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Museum purchase through gift of various donors
Accession Number
1901-39-1699
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Francesco Trevisani (1656–1746), a prominent Italian Baroque artist active in Rome, created this design titled *Africa* between 1713 and 1726 as a preparatory study for a pendentive in the Baptismal Vestibule of St. Peter’s Basilica. Pendentives are the curved triangular sections of vaulting that transition from a square base to a circular dome, often adorned with symbolic frescoes or mosaics in grand ecclesiastical architecture. Trevisani’s work likely formed part of a decorative scheme representing the four continents—Europe, Asia, Africa, and America—emphasizing the Catholic Church’s global...