Design for a Ceiling
n.d.
Medium
Graphite, pen and ink with brown wash
Dimensions
9 7/16 x 10 9/16 in. (23.9 x 26.8 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of William Rieder, 2009
Accession Number
2009.465.8
Tags
Art Historical Context
Felice Giani's *Design for a Ceiling* is captivating preparatory drawing that reveals the meticulous planning behind grand Neoclassical interiors. Rendered in graphite, pen and ink with brown wash on a modest sheet measuring 9 7/16 x 10 9/16 inches (23.9 x 26.8 cm), this work exemplifies the artist's command of line and subtle tonality. The brown wash adds depth and luminosity, mimicking the effects of fresco or painted vaults, while precise ink hatching builds form and movement—techniques essential for translating sketches into monumental decorations. Active in Italy during the late 18th and...
About the Artist
Felice Giani · 1758–1823
Died 21 January 1823. Giani was a student of C.A. Bianchi and Antonio Galli Bibiena in Pavia; from 1778 he was a student of Dom. Pedrini and Ub. Gandolfi in Bologna; from 1780 he was a student of P. Batoni, Chr. Unterberger and G. Antolini at the Academy of S. Luca in Rome.