Ceiling Design
18th century
Medium
Leadpoint or graphite; framing line in pen and brown ink
Dimensions
8 9/16 x 10 1/8 in. (21.8 x 25.7 cm); irregularly cut
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, 1965
Accession Number
65.653.69
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold the intricate *Ceiling Design* by Marini, an 18th-century Italian artist whose preparatory sketches capture the grandeur of architectural ornamentation. Created as a study for elaborate ceiling decorations, this drawing exemplifies the period's fascination with opulent interiors, likely intended for palaces or churches where vaulted surfaces demanded bold, illusionistic patterns. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department, was acquired through the Joseph Pulitzer Bequest in 1965, preserving a glimpse into the creative process of Baroque-era design. Render...
About the Artist
Leonardo Marini · 1730–1797
Leonardo Marini (1730–1797) was an Italian sculptor who worked principally in Rome during the later decades of the eighteenth century, contributing to the rich culture of sculptural production that flourished in the city during the age of Neoclassicism. Born in 1730, Marini trained within the Roman tradition of marble carving and decorative sculpture, absorbing the technical standards demanded by ...