Design for a Baptismal Font
Classification
architecture
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Museum purchase through gift of various donors and from Eleanor G. Hewitt Fund
Accession Number
1938-88-1408
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Giuseppe Barberi (1746–1809), a prominent Italian architect and designer active in Rome during the late 18th century, created this *Design for a Baptismal* around 1775. As a master of ornamental architecture, Barberi contributed to the Neoclassical revival, blending classical antiquity with elegant functionality. This preparatory drawing or plan exemplifies his expertise in ecclesiastical design, envisioning a sacred vessel central to Christian baptismal rites—where water symbolizes spiritual rebirth. Baptismal fonts have long held profound cultural and religious significance in Italian art a...